How far could you go with £2?
This is a question we at Campaign for Better have been pondering ever since the Government capped bus fares in England at £2. The new £2 bus tickets are perfect for getting out and exploring more for less, but since the temporary cap was introduced in January, it’s not exactly been day-trip weather.
When the Government extended the scheme, we were thrilled. Partly, because our campaigning had played a big role in this decision, but really, so we could start planning our own springtime epic bus journeys using the £2 tickets. We also wanted to raise more awareness of the scheme and encourage more people to make use of their local bus services.
In true Campaign for Better Transport fashion, the idea of a competition was floated especially after the success of our Train Vs. Plane race to Glasgow. Emily Turner’s 3-day mega trip from London to Edinburgh using only £2 buses had shown what was possible so, with a work-friendly one-day limit set, three of our non-London team members set about planning three ‘epic bus journeys’.
For our competition we agreed on a maximum ‘three-leg’ journey, with no one leg costing more than £2. The challenge was simply to see who could travel furthest with distance measured ‘as the crow flies’. Our competitors were: Jess starting in Ipswich, Sarah starting in Axbridge, Somerset and Stephen starting in Reading.
Jess and Sarah set off over an hour before Stephen, with Jess boarding the 113 Simonds bus from Ipswich to Diss, and Sarah the 126 Libra Travel service from Axbridge to Wells. Chatting with other passengers, Sarah learned that the 126 used to run from Weston-Super-Mare but the service was reduced last year. This would be one of several discussions through the day on the impact that bus cuts are having on rural communities, affirming our need to keep campaigning for their protection. Sarah had arrived in Wells before Stephen had even paid his £2 for the X39 Oxford Bus Company bus to Oxford City Centre. The X39 took our academic historian and Policy Research Manager through Wallingford, where, he told us, William the Conqueror had completed his 1066 invasion.
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- Jess at Norwich Station
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- Sarah with bus driver John on the 126 to Wells
Onto leg two! £2 spent by everyone and lots of savings still to be made. After a cup of tea at the Angel Café in Diss, Jess hopped on the No.1 Konnectbus service to Norwich. Sarah at this stage was already away on the 77 Buses of Somerset bus to Yeovil, while Stephen had time for a coffee and quick walk around historic Oxford before leaving on the S4 Stagecoach bus to Banbury. On the Diss- Norwich route, Jess spoke to a passenger Joanne who prefers to catch the bus into town rather than driving, as parking her car for one afternoon costs £6.50. Another passenger, Charlie, said he relies on the bus to get to work and that the fare cap is saving him more than £100 a month.
Sarah’s coffee break location of choice was Yeovil, where she convinced others in the café to take a trip by bus before the scheme ends in June. Then it was time for the No. 6 First bus to Bridport which, Sarah noted, was at full 31-person capacity for the first half hour of its trip representing a good few cars off the roads. Back in Banbury, Stephen was on the 77A Stagecoach service to Leamington Spa where he learned that before the bus fare cap, his single fare used to cost £6.60- more than his planned total spend for his whole epic bus journey. Jess’ final bus of the day was the X44 Sanders coach to Cromer.
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- Sarah on the No.6 to Bridport
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- Banksy artwork at Cromer
To the results…
- Sarah’s completed journey from Axbridge to Bridport was 39-miles as the crow flies. She’s looking forward to doing her journey again in better weather for a walk along the coastal path from Bridport Beach to Weymouth.
- Jess came in second place covering a massive 60-mile distance from Ipswich to Cromer. Blue skies welcomed her and she had enough time for a walk to see the Banksy artwork on the beach.
- Stephen came in first place with an epic 62.5-mile journey from Reading to Leamington Spa.
Our winner Stephen in Leamington Spa
All three had a great day using local bus services and chatting with passengers about the day-to-day impact that lower bus fares are having on the cost of living; the £2 bus fare cap halved the cost of each journey.
Working for Campaign for Better Transport, we all know how valued buses are and how millions rely on them. This is why this month we’re launching our own competition and asking people to use the £2 bus fare cap to make their own epic bus journeys this spring. The winner will receive £150 in National Trust vouchers, enough for a year’s family membership granting you free entry to over 500 fabulous places. The competition runs until the end of April. Click here to apply.
