For people

One of the problems with the car is that it’s TOO convenient - it requires very little physical movement to get from place to place. In contrast, the short walk you’ll probably need to take from your home to the bus stop or train station (and at the other end of your journey), is a brilliant way to build regular exercise into your routine. In fact, taking the bus can help you achieve half your daily recommended exercise. And here’s another bonus: bus travel can be a third less stressful than driving - which of course has long and short term benefits for your mental, emotional and physical health.

Given that most of us have to buy a ticket to use public transport, you’re probably wondering why we’ve included ‘saving money’ as a key reason for taking the bus or train. Yes, public transport costs money, but so does driving. The difference is: you pay for the bus at ‘point of sale’, while you pay for your car in larger and irregular ‘lump sums’. So it feels very different. In just owning a car, you have to fork out for vehicle tax, MOTs and any garage fees. On top of that, there’s the regular cost of filling up the tank, parking charges, congestion charges, and the horror of speeding or parking fines.

In today’s busy world, finding time to read or just stare out of the window and let your mind rest can feel like an impossible task. Public transport provides the perfect opportunity to get started on that book you’ve been meaning to read for ages, keep up with that brain training app you never have time for, or just catch up on your beauty sleep. Not that you need it.

For planet

A whopping 19% of the average UK person’s carbon footprint comes from car travel. Just think of all the CO2 you could save if that trip to the gym or visit to your parents involved hopping on the bus or train - instead of behind the wheel.

60% of all CO2 emissions from road vehicles is produces by passenger cars.

A heavy traffic jam is every driver’s nemesis. Nobody likes to be stuck in traffic, particularly if you’ve got somewhere to be or - even worse - it’s hot and sunny outside. But with traffic on UK roads more than doubling in the last 30 years, congestion is on the up. This costs the economy billions of pounds each year and seriously affects people’s health.

Now, we’re not saying you won’t get stuck in traffic (or on a busy train) if you’re travelling by public transport - but removing more cars from the road will certainly help solve the problem.