- Stagecoach in South Wales activities part of national Greener Journeys bus industry initiative
- ‘Catch the Bus Week’ to run from 3-9 July
Stagecoach in South Wales is joining forces with sustainable transport group Greener Journeys to promote the benefits of bus use through the fifth annual ‘Catch the Bus Week’.
The campaign, which takes place from 3-9 July, aims to drive awareness of the benefits of taking the bus, encouraging local people to make the switch from the car for a week and consider leaving the car at home for some journeys in the future.
During Catch the Bus Week 2017, Stagecoach in South Wales is carrying out a programme of promotional activities across the area to encourage people to give the bus a try. These will include:
- Seven places to visit on the bus a new location will be tweeted out every day (including a picture) giving customers an idea of where to travel
- CTBW tips will be tweeted out during the week e.g. try catching the bus today, it could save you money and give you time to read your favourite book!
- We will be attending the Caerphilly Live event on Thursday July 6 to promote bus use and highlight that it is great value for money.
- We will be at Talbot Green with our info bus, handing out free goodies and promoting the great advantages of bus travel
Passengers can now take easier public transport journeys with Stagecoach Bus smartphone app. The app provides customers with journey planning, next-stop information and live bus tracking, and enables people to buy and download bus tickets straight to their mobile phone.
Smart ticketing was rolled out in South Wales in September 2016 and there are more than 2million StagecoachSmart cards in circulation and more than 330million smart transactions across the UK every year.
While onboard, passengers can use their time to their advantage, checking emails, using free wi-fi, reading a book or taking a nap.
Travelling by bus is also kinder to the environment. By choosing to take the bus rather than car, passengers are helping to reduce the amount of roadside toxic emissions. Buses and coaches have consistently emitted lowest levels of NOx for any road transport.*
All of Stagecoach in South Wales fleet are fitted with GreenRoad eco-driving technology and bus drivers can share £1million annual bonus for safer and more fuel-efficient driving.
Stagecoach has also invested millions of pounds in technology to help passengers make the most of their time before, during and after their journey.
Bus travel with Stagecoach is also kinder to the pocket and the company has four times been independently found to have the best value bus fares in Britain. A recent survey carried out by consumer group Transport Focus found that bus passengers rated Stagecoach as the best value major operator in the country.
Full details of the Transport Focus Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey can be found here.
Commenting on Catch the Bus Week, Nigel Winter Stagecoach in South Wales Managing Director said: “There are obvious environmental benefits of taking the bus instead of driving – but bus travel can also save people money and reduce the stress of driving and parking in busy towns and cities. Our aim is to encourage more people in South Wales to leave their cars at home and we hope people will enjoy Catch the bus week 2017.”
Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys said: “We’re really excited about this year’s Catch the Bus Week. We look forward to bus operators, MPs, local authorities and schools coming together to celebrate the bus and encourage people to leave their cars at home and hop on board. From deals to competition and yarnbombing to green hands, the creativity on display during Catch the Bus Week is astonishing and this year will be no different.
“There isn’t a single area of our daily lives that doesn’t in some way depend on the bus so it is fantastic to see its worth celebrated in such creative and fun ways.”