Campaign for Better Transport has launched a new social media
campaign to highlight the importance of bus stops.
Bus Stop Stories features videos of bus passengers from
around the country taking about what buses mean to them and why
the quality of information and facilities available at bus stops
matter. The campaign aims to highlight the importance of bus
stops in increasing bus patronage and how continued investment in
bus stops could increase bus use and transform lives.
It calls on the Government to ensure that the statutory
guidance being developed under the Bus Services Act 2025 acts as
a robust and comprehensive National Bus Stop
Standard and to work with local transport authorities to
deliver improvements quickly.
Michael Solomon , Head of External Affairs at
Campaign for Better Transport, said: “I travelled a thousand
miles around England and Wales by bus, asking passengers for
their Bus Stop Stories. Time and again, people said how important
clear information, safe shelters and comfortable waiting areas
are, but sadly these are missing in too many places making
catching the bus unappealing, and more difficult than it should
be. A National Bus Stop Standard which prioritises accessibility,
safety, comfort and up-to-date information could change this and
transform bus journeys for the millions of people use buses every
day.”
Campaign for Better Transport research found that whilst 86 per
cent of people live within a ten-minute walk of their nearest bus
stop, almost a quarter (23 per cent) are put off using the bus
because of poorly maintained bus shelters.
- Only half of survey respondents said their nearest bus stop
has a shelter
- Just 16 per cent have up-to-date maps of routes in the area
- Only 31 per cent have an up-to-date timetable
- Just 16 per cent have access to live updates about bus
arrivals.
Yet simple improvements – like an up-to-date legible timetable -
would encourage people to travel by bus more frequently with more
than half (52 per cent) of people saying they would use buses
more if they had better information at bus stops.
A robust and comprehensive national guidance on the specific
facilities and information appropriate for different types of bus
stops would help address the issues around poor bus stops and
help encourage more people to use the bus. Campaign for Better
Transport is currently convening a sector-wide working group
to help feed into the guidance being developed.
You can find out more about #BusStopStories on Campaign for
Better Transport social media channels or on its website at
bettertransport.org.uk/bus-stop-stories.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- Survey of bus users undertaken as part of Campaign for Better
Transport's report: Better Bus Stops:
Creating a national bus stop standard.
- In October 2025, Michael Solomon travelled 1,000 miles by bus
around England and Wales interviewing bus passengers for
Campaign for Better Transport's Bus Stop Stories Campaign.