‘Thank you, driver!’ Bus advocates meet bus drivers as part of Better Transport Week

13 June 2023

Better Transport Week, which runs from 12 to 18 June, has been organised by leading transport charity Campaign for Better Transport to celebrate its 50^th year of campaigning for sustainable transport. The week aims to promote the wide range of benefits of public transport, shared mobility, walking and cycling to the public and encourage more people to travel sustainably.

The visit to Ash Grove Bus Depot marks Better Transport Week’s ‘Bus and Coach Day’ on Tuesday 13 June which aims to celebrate our most used form of public transport. As part of Bus and Coach Day the public are being encouraged to thank their driver, either in person or via the Better Transport Week Bus and Coach Day webpage.

Brogan McPherson, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Bus drivers do a vital job, connecting communities, busting loneliness, reducing traffic and helping us make millions of journeys. Better Transport Week is all about celebrating the transport that makes our lives, communities and environment better, and we couldn’t do that without saying thank you to brilliant bus drivers!”

Emily Turner said: “I think there are a lot of people who really love buses. They associate them with good memories from different times in their life, or sitting back and watching the world go by, or even taking them on a night out so they didn’t have to drive. I think it’s really important that anyone who feels that way celebrates that – they can be such a useful form of transport, and they deserve to be celebrated!”

Emily and Brogan will be joined at Ash Grove Bus Depot by representatives from Stagecoach, which operates bus services in London under contract to Transport for London.

Matt Cranwell, Stagecoach’s Interim Managing Director for London, said: “All bus drivers play such a vital role in the community, and we’re delighted that Campaign for Better Transport is highlighting this by having a ‘Thank your bus driver’ day as part of Better Transport Week.

“It’s fantastic that Emily will be meeting the team at Ash Grove Garage and celebrating the role of the bus driver – we’d like to thank her for all that she’s doing to encourage more people to use the bus services in their local areas.”

ENDS

Media are invited to attend the photo call at 10:00 on Tuesday 13 June at Ash Grove bus depot, Mare Street, Hackney, London, E8 4RH.

For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Emily Turner is a London-based transport enthusiast who unexpectedly went viral in February this year for travelling on interconnected local bus routes from London to Edinburgh using the £2 bus fare. Since then, she has spoken at various industry events, including the launch of our own Better Transport Week, and is in the process of writing a book about travelling by bus. Her enthusiasm stretches beyond buses though, and she is also co-creator and co-host of the podcast ‘Roundel Round We Go’, which looks at the history of the London Underground station-by-station.

Better Transport Week runs from Monday 12 to Sunday 18 June and aims to promote public transport, shared mobility and active travel to mark the transport charity’s 50^th year of campaigning. Tuesday 13 June is Bus and Coach Day, celebrating our most used form of public transport with the public encouraged to thank their driver and share why buses and coaches are important to them. For more information visit the Better Transport Week webpage.

Read the full list of Better Transport Week partners here.

Campaign for Better Transport was founded as Transport 2000 on 6 February 1973. 2023 marks its 50^th year of campaigning for all communities to have access to high quality, sustainable transport that meets their needs, improves quality of life and protects the environment. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929) which operates in England and Wales.