Southern Vectis is launching a new campaign designed to encourage local people to switch from car to bus – in a bid to reduce congestion and improve air quality across the Isle of Wight.
The local operator is seeing a slow but steady increase in the number of passengers travelling on its buses, in light of pandemic restrictions ending and the recent fuel crisis. Now it wants to continue the momentum, with a mission to help reduce harmful carbon emissions across the island.
Nikki Honer, Head of Communications for Southern Vectis, says:
“It stands to reason that a bus operator would want local people to choose its services instead of journeying by car – but that’s just one incentive for us to put everything into our ‘Think Bus’ campaign.
“Throughout the pandemic, we continued to transport key workers across the Isle of Wight, to ensure they could carry out their vital roles at hospitals, GP surgeries, supermarkets and so on.
“Sadly, though, government guidelines scared some away from using buses – and they returned to their cars. Now it’s time to reconsider.
“Taking the bus should be first choice – just like taking a re-usable bag to the supermarket is. As a community, we have mastered the art of this because buying single-use plastic is frowned upon.
“The same should apply to local journeys. Taking your car out for a short trip when you live on a regular bus route really should be socially unacceptable.
Article continues below this advertisement “Wherever you wish to travel, we ask you to ‘Think Bus’ to reduce your carbon footprint – whether you’re commuting, socialising, studying, or going out for the day. Our journey planners, via our website app, even show you how much Co2 you can save – when compared to driving.
“For example, taking the route 1 bus from Newport Bus Station to M&S in Cowes will save 1434g of CO2, compared to driving. That’s the same as making 608 cups of tea.
“Sustainable transport can provide the perfect and affordable solution to reducing air pollution here – whatever your reason to travel.”
Perhaps reducing the fares might help it costs 2 adults £18 to get to Newport from Shanklin and back. Add that to the rising cost of food so using the bus to go shopping is no brainer.
I would call those prices ‘socially unacceptable’!
Holy sheeez, I won’t be taking the bus any time soon then at those prices. You could spend a sizable chuck if wage getting to work and back like that.
Absolutely, £4.50 to get to Newport from shanklin and it took an hr, disgraceful charges. No thanks.
“Taking the bus should be first choice”
No walking or cycling should be first choice so the body is working and maintaining fitness.
I am 78 so walking and cycling aren’t an answer.
Good iodea. I have an idea for SVOC, supply buses to places like St Lawrence, Havenstreet etc, places without any bus service, then they might persuade people to get out of their cars and use the bus.
St Lawrence had the 31 bus, 5days a week, subsidised by Ventnor Town Council. Then cut to 2 days a week. Now set to end on Friday for no good reason we can find. At a time when using cars discouraged all the users of the 31 are forced back into cars if they drive, taxis if not. Where is the sense or joined up thinking in that?
And how much CO2 to buses produce when holding up strings of cars stuck behind them?
bus companies should also consider motorist ,were there is a bus stop should be a bus layby and not be hold up buses .buses should also give pasengers indication just how many minutes the bus will arive at the designation.
Its cheaper to travel by car and more reliable.
Bus fares are way to expensive, but then it has been pointed out so many times….they just do not get it!!!
This greenwash rubbish just gives and gives. Considering the isle of wight is surrounded by water and megapolluting ships, air quality is totally unafected by somebody using their car rather than an overpriced unreliable mobile germ factory. No, the car will always be the first choice for anybody able to run one.
if a service is not profitable it is removed from the journey .this then forces customers to use their cars
Maybe a “Think don’t dig up all the main roads in Ryde at the same time” campaign might be more appropriate?
What about compared to electric cars?
Are these busses using fully electric? Oh wait no it’s DIESEL!! The worst of the fuels.
And those huge tyres? That’s rubber particles.
and those huge break discs? Not using regenerative breaking so that’s more particulate matter in the air.
This is the biggest joke ever, they should be fined money for saying huge lies.
come back when you have a fully electrified fleet with bus sizes that actually are sensibly sized for the island roads.
What they don’t factor in is the line of vehicles stuck behind their busses unable to get past plus if you live off the main routes they are not interested in you.
For me to use the bus to go to work is as follows.
£5 a day, a 10 minute walk to the nearest bus stop.
A change of bus in Newport bus station.
A wait of up to 10 minutes to catch the next bus that drops me off 15 minute walk from workplace.
12 minutes by car.
I think i will stay using a car.
I can think Bus all I like but it won’t do me any good because where I live there aren’t any.
Get smaller busses and serve better timetables to other areas not just Newport then I might get on one
the bus company has shown a dramatic increas in the fares ,the operator has seen a slow and steady decrease in the pasengers ,it is a knock of effect ,every time the fare increases it forces more people into go cars. .Southern vectis think about it ,if you reduce the fares this will atract pasengers on to your buses ,if you increas this, it will reverse ,so if you want pasengers think about the cost to get more pasengers traveling with you
Why oh why is a double decker on the 38 route at 730 in the morning ? Have passed it several times and its empty , surely a single decker uses less fuel to drive around the non existent passengers ??