This week, Catch the Bus Week is in full swing once again! Run by Greener Journeys, the national campaign run across the UK aims to encourage people who may not ordinarily use the bus to go out and give it a try! Now in its third year running, Catch the Bus Week is proving to be a fantastic opportunity for travellers to get involved in the campaign and try out the bus services in their area to see what works for them.

As part of the campaign, we have launched our Bus Selfie competition! For the chance to win, simply take a selfie of yourself catching the bus and send it to us on Twitter at @TravelineCymru with the hashtag #CTBW2015. We’ll be giving away £100 worth of high street vouchers to the best selfie posted, so get creative and show us your best snaps!

Our Marketing Manager, Jo Foxall says “Catch the Bus Week is a great initiative to encourage sustainable travel and we hope people will give it a try and enter our competition. We’re not asking people to stop using their car altogether, but we are challenging them to see if they can leave their car at home during the week.”

As regular bus users will know, there are some brilliant benefits to travelling on the bus, from reducing your carbon footprint to saving money and much more. We’re here to this week to help encourage you to shake up your travel routines and try out a more sustainable mode of transport.

Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys says “This week is a crucial springboard for greater attention to the whole host of ways that the bus benefits Britain, from how it helps people fit vital physical activity into hectic lives, to how it helps cut clogging congestion that damages local economies.”

So why should you catch the bus?

• It can save you money. With a number of travel tickets and passes available for regular commuters, you can ultimately save money on what you would have spent on petrol.

• To help the environment.
  Did you know..? 13% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions comes from car usage!* Simply by opting for the bus every now and then, you can help make a big difference to not only the environment, but your health as well.

• Boost your health and up your physical fitness levels by walking between bus stops and your final destination.
  Did you know..? By catching a bus, on average you breathe a third less pollution than car users.* Even more incentive to hop on the bus, and feel more active and healthy!
  
  
  
• It can make for a less stressful journey. According to research, travelling by bus is a third less stressful than travelling by car. So there’s no need to worry about driving your way through any busy traffic; simply sit back with your favourite book or music playlist and enjoy some time to yourself!
  
  

However, whether you’re a regular bus user, or are new to travelling this way, we understand it can be a big step to change your usual transport routine. By making small changes one step at a time, you can find the best options to suit your schedule and Catch the Bus Week is a great opportunity to test the waters and try out a bus route for one of your journeys.

Perhaps you can leave the car behind one day this week and take the bus into work? If getting to work by bus isn’t an option, why not catch it into town or to your local shops (and take your Traveline bus selfie while you’re at it!) By trying out just one journey by bus this week, you may discover a new route that you had not considered before. With so many people up and down the country getting involved, this could ultimately lead people to a long term travel change for the better.

There are lots of ways to get involved with Catch the Bus Week, with a number of organisations taking part to help us make the most of our local bus services. Have a look at the Catch the Bus Week website for more information on the campaign and keep an eye out for activities and competitions taking place that you can take part in!

Want to keep up with what’s going on throughout the week? Follow the hashtag #CTBW2015 and join in the conversation – catching the bus has never been so fun, and we’d love to see how you get on.

Want to get started? See our journey planner at the top of the page and enter your journey preferences to see a list of available bus routes!

Let us know if Catch the Bus Week has inspired you to get out on your local services! Don’t forgot to tweet us your bus selfies @TravelineCymru with #CTBW2015 and good luck!

*Facts sourced from Greener Journeys, the sustainable transport group running Catch the Bus Week. Greener Journeys work with bus operators, local authorities and businesses to make it easier and more convenient for people to switch more of their car journeys to bus and coach. To find out more about the work they do, visit their website here.