Bus Users UK Partner Pack

Get on board for Catch the Bus Month 2023!

The need for affordable, accessible and sustainable transport has never been greater. This year we’ll be celebrating the social, economic and environmental benefits of these lifeline services and encouraging more people to choose bus.

Throughout September our teams will be out and about across the UK joining events and supporting your campaigns and promotions so make sure you keep us posted and tag in #CTBM2023 #CatchTheBusMonth and @BusUsersUK

Below you’ll find our new, free-to-use resources including Catch the Bus Month 2023 logos, graphics and posters (in English and Welsh) promoting the benefits of the bus, a factsheet from CPT along with the very latest research from Transport Focus, and a template press release with quotes from our Chief Executive. And of course there are plenty of giant #CTBM red hands available on request.

To get in touch with us, call our team on 0300 111 0001 or email catchthebus@bususers.org

We look forward to celebrating Catch the Bus Month with you!

How we can help

If you’re thinking of running an event, send us the details and we’ll do our best to join you or provide a speaker. We’re open to ideas for joint events and collaborations and we’ll promote whatever event, activity or campaign you run.

We’ll be on hand to offer advice, support and ideas so stay in touch, keep us posted and check our website for news and updates

Campaign materials

Our logos, graphics, posters, template press release, CPT Factsheet and Transport Focus surveys are free to download and we have plenty of the famous giant #CTBM foam hands so get in touch on catchthebusmonth@bususers.org or 0300 111 0001 and we’ll send some out to you.

Logos, Graphics & Posters
We’ve produced a range of materials in a host of different formats, print and screen-ready and in English and Welsh to accompany your campaign.

CPT Factsheet
CPT’s Factsheet is full of useful research and statistics to support your campaign and demonstrate the social, economic and environmental benefits of the bus.

Bus Passenger Survey
84% of bus passengers are satisfied with their journey according to the latest figures from Transport Focus. You can find out more about our bus habits with their ‘Motivations and barriers to bus usage’ study, and their research on ‘Getting free bus holders back on buses’.

Template Press Release
Feel free to use this handy template to promote your events and activities throughout the month.

Some ideas to get you started

There are lots of ways to bring people together to celebrate the bus. Below are just a few ideas, but feel free to share your own.

On-street event
Face-to-face events are a great opportunity for operators and local authorities to promote their work and hear what passengers have to say about their services. We’d recommend handing out some freebies so people have something to take away and contacting your local media for some free publicity.

Online events
You could run an open-forum or panel discussion or invite people to send in questions to an ‘Ask the operator’ session. Encouraging people to share photos or stories on social media is a great idea, and competitions and give-aways online are always popular. Partnerships with local cafes, restaurants or tourist attractions will get more people on board and boost the local economy!

Launch event
If you’re launching a new service or app, want to share your work on your Bus Service Improvement Plan or Enhanced Partnership, or you’re taking delivery of a new vehicle or fleet, a launch event to coincide with Catch the Bus Month could be the perfect way to promote your services and attract new passengers.

Photo op
Invite your local Mayor, MP, councillors or celebrities to join you on board a bus for a photo or ask them to take a selfie on their favourite route, and make sure you order some giant red hands!

Get creative
Run an art or poetry competition for kids so they can show how much they love travelling by bus. Invite them to come up with designs for the perfect bus or a name for a new or existing vehicle.

Bring people together
Buses are the lifeblood of the community and collaboration is key so get people on board! Reach out to local groups, charities, schools, colleges, universities and places of worship. Get them involved with your campaign ideas and encourage them to come up with suggestions of their own.

The sky’s the limit

The opportunities for Catch the Bus Month are endless! Here are some final tips to get your campaign off the ground:

• Make sure you promote the benefits of bus travel and show how amazing these vital services are
• Collaborate wherever possible with operators, passenger groups, local authorities, schools, charities and your local community
• Download and use our free Catch the Bus Month logos, graphics and posters
• Use the hashtag #CTBM2023 or #CatchTheBusMonth and tag us in @BusUsersUK
• Keep us posted! We want to know what you’re doing so we can support your great work.

A bit about us

Bus Users is a charity that campaigns for inclusive, accessible transport. We are the only approved Alternative Dispute Resolution Body for the bus and coach industry and the designated body for handling complaints under the Passenger Rights in Bus and Coach Legislation. We are also part of a Sustainable Transport Alliance, a group working to promote the benefits of public, shared and active travel.

Alongside our complaints work we investigate and monitor services and work with operators and transport providers to improve services for everyone. We run events, carry out research, respond to consultations, speak at government select committees and take part in industry events to make sure the voice of the passenger is heard.

Get in touch
Call our team on 0300 111 0001 or email catchthebus@bususers.org