Home / Topics / Getting Around / Public Transport / Buses can take you further than you think Buses can take you further than you think by Angela Terry 17 Oct 2023 Public Transport 3 min read Share this article Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy linkLink copied! UK buses are great and I use them whenever I can. Buses not only help to reduce pollution and congestion they also save us money. The fabulous ‘Get around for £2’ scheme is valid until October 31st 2023. The tickets for single journeys are available on over 5,000 routes across the UK outside London for just £2. Whether it’s buy one get one free or off peak travel, there’s a lot of subsidies if you shop around. But there are often seasonal reductions on bus travel and advance booking savings to be made too. Whether it’s buy one get one free or off peak travel offers – there’s a lot of subsidies if you shop around. There are plenty of ways to make buses even cheaper here too: https://www.savethestudent.org/travel/cheap-coach-travel.html Pensioners go free Better still, if you’re a pensioner, you get free a free bus pass and if you’re feeling adventurous you can try and do what Penny Ibbott, from Scotland did. The amazing grandma travelled 2,200 miles on her free bus pass. While she went from Scotland down to the South of England on her pass, she was only allowed on cross border routes because she was fundraising and drivers must have turned a blind eye. Normally, a pensioner pass will give you unlimited free travel for the country it’s issued in and some cross border routes but you can’t use a Scottish pass in England or vice versa. You can plan your journey here: National Express Megabus or you can google your local bus provider where you live to see localised routes. Kids travel free too It’s not just pensioners that get in on the fun though, children under 5 travel free and there are subsidies for children up to 16. Disabled people can often travel for free on a bus pass at off peak times too. Even if you pay you’ll save money The benefits don’t just stop at subsidies or passes though. Jumping on a bus instead of driving also avoids paying car parking fees and congestion or clean air charges as well as fuel costs. Enjoy free WiFi and work on the move too There are plenty of other perks; there’s free WiFi on many services so you can work while you’re on the move for a bit of multi-tasking and secretly all of us love bus travel. Whether it’s spying from the top deck on posh houses and gardens as you go by or little ones sitting at the front on the top deck pretending to be the driver – there’s something a little bit special about buses and the communal sense of them. Buses can be social too There can be lots of conversations sparking between people – especially on the last buses home when the pubs close and – of course – everyone knows headphones on means no conversation if you prefer some quiet time. Use buses or face losing them However, too many bus services have been cut of late. Cancelling buses isn’t great for so many reasons. Public spending on roads in the UK is around £11.13 billion a year. We’re investing in roads but unfortunately when bus services close or reduce, all this does is drive people into their cars. If you can’t get public transport you have no choice but to drive – if you have a car – and with that driving comes plenty of issues. Congestion charge and clean air zone charges, paying for parking, having to leave early to find parking and the cost of petrol. Not to mention the fact if you drive on a night out, you can’t enjoy a drink. Buses are funded by central and local government – any cuts to services are a loss to the very communities served. Lots of us remember getting the bus to meet friends or go on first dates. Plenty of us have plonked into a bus seat after a long day and had a well meaning smile from someone nearby. Buses are a great British institution and they have to be protected and routes and services increased, not decreased. Was this content helpful? We want to ensure that we’re providing useful information to our visitors. Feedback, good or bad is warmly welcomed! Yes, helpful Rate this content as useful. Not helpful Rate this content as not useful. "*" indicates required fields This field is hidden when viewing the formWas this content helpful? Yes, helpful Not helpful Your feedback*Sign up for newsletter Sign up for One Home newsletter Consent(For more information on how we process data, please refer to our Privacy Policy) I’m happy to be contacted by One Home for a follow-up conversationEmail* NameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Thank you for your feedback! Disclaimer The information in this article was correct at the time of writing and is provided for guidance only. Please see the full disclaimer in our terms and conditions. Please share this article and comment on social. Share this article Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy linkLink copied!
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