Get on board with Go North East this Catch the Bus Week

Next week, Go North East, the region’s largest bus company, will be getting on board with Catch the Bus Week (1-7 July).

The nationwide campaign aims at driving awareness of the benefits of catching the bus and Go North East will be joining in, with a series of offers and competitions on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages throughout the week.

Travelling by bus comes with plenty of benefits, and here are some of them courtesy of research commissioned by Greener Journeys:

• Travelling by bus is good for your health – it’s a third less stressful than commuting by car.
• If everyone switched just one car journey a month to the bus there would be one billion fewer car journeys on our roads – saving 2m tonnes of CO2.
• Catching the bus reduces congestion, saving the UK economy up to £11billion a year.
• Catching the bus frees your head and hands, relieving you of congestion woes and parking stress, so you can make the most of your extra time – allowing you to relax with a book or catch up with friends.
• A third of drivers consider driving a chore because of high fuel costs and increased congestion.
• Buses are a cost-effective way to cut carbon emissions and congestion, therefore reducing our carbon footprint and improving air quality.
• Buses are a vital driver of economic growth in the UK – every £1 spent on bus infrastructure generates up to £8 of economic benefits.
• Two-thirds of bus users have said that buses create strong community ties.

The company recently announced a £12million investment in 54 high-specification environmentally friendly buses, nine of which are full-electric, to help revolutionise bus travel across the region.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Go North East, said: “Buses play a vital role in connecting our communities, improving air quality and helping reduce congestion, with one fully loaded double-decker capable of taking up to 75 cars out of traffic jams.

“With great features including contactless payments plus free Wi-Fi and USB charging points on many of our buses, as well as the environmental and active health benefits of bus travel, there’s never been a better time to get on board.

“Catch the Bus Week is a nationwide initiative to get people to re-think bus use and give today's modern bus services a try.”

For more information about Go North East, and the benefits of bus travel, visit gonortheast.co.uk or search for ‘Go North East’ on Facebook or Twitter.