A specially wrapped double-decker bus rolled into Westminster this week, bringing Catch the Bus Month right to the heart of Parliament
Lydia Horbury, CEO Bus Users UK, Simon Lightwood MP, Rebecca Miller, Director for England, Bus Users UK
MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bus and Coach (APPG) came together with Simon Lightwood MP, Minister for Local Transport, Dawsongroup, who provided the bus, and Bus Users UK, the charity behind Catch the Bus Month, to celebrate these lifeline services and encourage more people to get on board.
Throughout September, operators, local authorities, businesses, community groups and passengers across England, Scotland and Wales, are celebrating buses and their impact on the environment, the economy, and our health and wellbeing. This year’s campaign theme, Myth BUSting, is challenging some of the common misconceptions about bus travel and shining a light on the vital role buses play in connecting people to work, education, healthcare, leisure, friends and family.
Rebecca Miller, Director for England, Bus Users UK, Dr Peter Prinsley MP, Jennie Martin, Ambussador with Bus Users UK, Alex Mayer MP, Luke Pollard MP, David Burton-Sampson MP, Ivan Bennet, Trueform, Lydia Horbury, CEO Bus Users UK, Robert Davis, Trueform
Alex Mayer MP, Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Buses and Coaches:
“Happy Catch the Bus Month! A huge thank you to Dawsongroup and Bus Users UK for helping bring a bus to Parliament to mark Catch the Bus Month. It’s becoming a real fixture in the parliamentary calendar. As an officer of the APPG for Buses and Coaches I’m always banging the drum (or in this case waving a big red foam hand) for the most used form of public transport and encouraging as many parliamentarians as possible to get on board too.
“Catch the Bus Month is a great opportunity to encourage more local people to give the bus a go, while celebrating the importance of strong local bus networks. It’s an exciting time for buses. The new PM is a bit of a bus fan too, the Bus Services Act is live and we’re seeing sustained investment”.
Norr, Bus Driver with Dawsongroup, Steve Darling MP for Torbay and Jennie his wonderful assistance dog
Lydia Horbury, CEO of Bus Users UK:
“It was a pretty spectacular way to show that buses belong at the centre of the conversation about the future of our communities and our transport network. There could hardly be a more iconic setting for Catch the Bus Month than the Houses of Parliament! Seeing that beautiful double-decker wrapped in our campaign branding, with MPs gathered around it, was a brilliant way to put the everyday importance of buses and their passengers right at the heart of Westminster.
“What I love about Catch the Bus Month is that it gives us a chance to celebrate buses with real energy and optimism. Buses are part of the fabric of everyday life for millions of people, and there is something wonderfully powerful about bringing that story right into the heart of the national conversation.
“A huge thank you to Dawsongroup and to the APPG for Bus and Coach for making this fantastic photoshoot possible, and to all the parliamentarians who are supporting the campaign.”
Mary Kelly Foy MP Durham Simon Lightwood MP Local Transport Minister
Paul Sainthouse, Managing Director of Dawsongroup bus and coach:
‘We were delighted to once again show our support for Bus Users UK by providing a special bus for the parliamentary launch of ‘Catch the Bus Month’. Buses are a very hot political topic at present, both centrally and regionally, so having another opportunity to place our profession positively at the forefront of legislators and regulators minds was a privilege. Buses provide a vital link for so many to employment, education and family, as well as being vital for social cohesion, and Catch the Bus Month talks to the widest possible audience about this vital national resource.”
The parliamentary event comes as Catch the Bus Month gets into full swing, with the support of lead partner, Trueform, and promotions and activities taking place across Britain.
From community events and bus-based promotions to opportunities to discover local routes and challenge long-held assumptions about bus travel, the campaign is encouraging people to get on board and see where the bus can take them.
Visit Catch the Bus Month