Bus Users UK

@bususersuk.bsky.social

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We're working to make transport inclusive, accessible and sustainable

Image of Lydia Horbury, CEO with the quote - "Today's commitment sends a clear signal that buses are not simply α safety net for those with no alternative, but a vital public service deserving of investment and confidence. "When we invest in buses, we invest in people. And when we make buses more affordable, we make opportunity more accessible for everyone." Lydia Horbury, Chief Executive, Bus Users UK"
Lydia Horbury stands on stage in front of a screen with the Bus Users logo
A couple and their young son smile and wave giant red hands in front of a row of buses
Poster showing Bridgend event details at Bridgend Bus Station Quarella Road, Bridgend, CF31 1LL On Friday 10th July From 10am to 2pm In partnership with Bridgend County Borough Council and First Bus
Barclay Davies sits centre stage at MOVE 2026 in front of the conference's digital branding
Poster for Let's Talk Buses with event details saying - We’ll be at the bus stop at the Strand and the Crescent Car Park, Bude, Cornwall EX23 8LE On Friday 19 June From 9.30am – 2.30pm In partnership with Transport for Cornwall. If you can't make it email letstalkbuses@bususers.org
Poster saying we’ll be at the bus stop at the Strand and the Crescent Car Park, Bude, Cornwall EX23 8LE On Friday 19 June From 9.30am – 2.30pm for our Let's Talk Buses event
Graphic with the words economic benefits of accessible transport webinar Wednesday 10 June 2026 1pm to 2.30pm with Barclay Davies Director, Bus Users UK
Lydia Horbury CEO of Bus Users UK quote and image: “Free bus travel for 5 to 15-year-olds throughout August is a hugely welcome step that will help families, encourage greater use of public transport and give young people more independence and opportunity over the summer holidays. "We hope this will not only support communities but inspire lasting confidence in public transport and encourage the next generation to see buses as an easy and sustainable way to travel."
Let's talk buses in Newcastle City Centre North, Grainger Street, Newcastle NE1 5DQ On Tuesday 21 April from 10am – 3pm In partnership with Stagecoach North East
One day, millions of journeys, Join the world on 17 April 2026 as we celebrate public transport and how it connects us to work, to life, to each other.
Photo and quote from Lydia Horbury, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK “Our 2026 Manifesto calls on Government to treat buses as essential national infrastructure, central to tackling inequality, driving economic growth and delivering on our climate ambitions. When bus services are accessible, reliable and properly integrated, they unlock opportunity, strengthen communities and connect people to the things that matter most. This is about putting passengers at the heart of policy and recognising the full value buses and sustainable travel brings to society.”
Photo and quote from Lydia Horbury, CEO of Bus Users UK: “Better Connected is a welcome step toward recognising what passengers have been telling us for years: that buses are not just a commercial product, they are essential public infrastructure. But strategy alone is not enough. The real test will be whether this translates into consistent, reliable services at the local level. That depends on sustained investment, strong partnerships and the capacity of local authorities to deliver.”
Photo of Lydia Horbury CEO of Bus Users UK and the quote: For the vast majority of people, travelling by bus is a safe and positive experience. However, when anti-social or criminal behaviour occurs, it can have a significant impact on passengers and drivers alike, undermining confidence in public transport. Clear expectations around passenger behaviour, alongside proportionate powers to address serious breaches, can help protect both passengers and staff and ensure buses remain a reliable and trusted mode of transport.”
Photo of Becky Miller Bus Users UK Director for England and the quote: The draft Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2050 and Delivery Plan together recognise buses as essential for meeting equity and social inclusion goals, critical for reducing car dependence, and a priority mode for investment in speed, reliability and integration. These proposals demonstrate a commitment to improving bus services and making bus travel more appealing, affordable, reliable and efficient for the people of Greater Manchester.”
Heart graphic with the words Save the Date and Love the Bus this Valentine's Day - sign up for Catch the Bus Month
Poster of a man on a bus with full details of the event and the logos of Bus Users UK Stagecoach and Burntisland Community Development Trust
Photo of Barclay Davies and the following quote: "The extra funding for bus services proposed by Welsh Government is great news for passengers. Following the draft Budget, there was a real possibility of cuts to the core bus network, with significant impacts on communities across Wales. This additional funding will help secure the existing network, which is vital for passengers as we move towards a franchised system of services."
Photo of Lydia Horbury and the quote: “Accessible, reliable transport is not a luxury, it is essential, and disabled people should not have to overcome extraordinary barriers just to make ordinary journeys. Consumer Scotland’s findings echo the lived experiences we hear every day from rural bus users, and they must now lead to practical, joined-up action. “Transport should connect people, not isolate them – rural Scotland’s disabled communities deserve nothing less.”
“The conclusion that the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Regulations should be retained is welcome and provides stability - but stability must not mean complacency. “There is a clear opportunity to build on the existing framework by ensuring passengers are central to future developments.”
Photo of Greig Mackay and quote: “The pilot bus fare cap for Scotland is extremely welcome and won’t just benefit the people who rely on buses - it will encourage modal shift, reducing congestion and improving service reliability, making buses more viable and protecting them for the future. Having Bus Users UK play such a central role in this process ensures passengers are fully represented in decisions that will affect communities across the region.”
Photo of Barclay Davies, Bus Users UK Director for Wales and the quote: "The Bus Services (Wales) Bill has the potential to significantly improve services across the country, putting passengers and communities at the heart of planning and decision making. Its success will depend on sufficient funding being made available to meet the needs of passengers and create a reliable, accessible, sustainable and comprehensive transport network that works for everyone.”
Quote and photo of Lydia Horbury: "Bus Users UK has been at the forefront of calls for secure, long-term funding for buses. Passengers have faced years of cuts and uncertainty, so the commitment of £3 billion to boost services and improve infrastructure is extremely welcome. Giving local authorities the stability to plan ahead and invest in the services their communities need is essential if we’re to reverse the decline and rebuild confidence in bus travel.”
Photo of Lydia Horbury and the following quote: “This year’s Budget seeks to ease the cost of living for workers while increasing the financial pressures on essential bus services that enable those same people to travel to work, education, healthcare and daily life. “As the most used and accessible form of public transport, buses are indispensable to disabled people, older and younger passengers, families and those with mobility needs who would otherwise be cut off from essential services. These passengers must not be sidelined in a Budget that places such significant emphasis on drivers and rail users.”
Becky Miller and Lydia Horbury of Bus Users UK smiling through a photo frame bearing the routeone awards logo
Graphic with a young woman on the bus and the words Be Bus Kind, give each other space, be patient, be kind, and make the journey better for everyone
Head and shoulders shot of Becky Miller, new Director for England for Bus Users UK
Photo of Lydia Horbury with the quote: “For too long, too many people have faced uncertainty and isolation due to sudden route cuts, unreliable timetables and a lack of accountability in how services are delivered. We welcome the Government’s recognition that bus services are a lifeline, not a luxury, essential to connecting people with jobs, education, healthcare and each other. This Act opens the door to a fairer, more dependable bus network – now we must ensure that the people who rely on it most are the ones who truly benefit.”
Mike Reed, Head of Transport, Lincolnshire County Council and Victoria Walker, Bus Users UK Campaign Manager waving giant red CTBM hands on a Call Connect Bus
Claire Walters accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award on the stage at the Bus Centre of Excellence conference 2025
Four representatives from Bus Users UK and Stagecoach wave giant red Catch the Bus Month hands in front of one of the new electric buses and Edinburgh Airport
Team members from Midland Bluebird and Bus Users UK standing inside the Larbert bus Deport with banners, bunting and giant red CTBM hands
A father crouches down behind his daughter and son who is a wheelchair user in the doorway of a bus with the ramp extended with all three of them smiling and waving giant red CTBM hands
A father crouches down behind his daughter and son who is a wheelchair user in the doorway of a bus with the ramp extended with all three of them smiling and waving giant red CTBM hands
A group of students laughing and posing in front of bus banners waving giant red CTBM hands
graphic with smiling people riding the bus and the words Catch the bus Month get on board September 2025 - good for the economy, good for the planet, good for you #CTBM25 #LoveTheBus
Tracy Brabin, Nadine Peatfield, Richard Marwood and Oliver Coppard sit on the panel at the UK Bus Summit
4 representatives from Angus Council, Bus Users UK and Stagecoach line the pavement in front of a bus stop waving giant red CTBM hands with a bus alongside them
A white bus wrapped in the logos of Catch the Bus Month, Bus Users UK, Dawsongroup and the All-Party Parliamentary Group stands in the middle of Old Palace Yard, Westminster, with the Houses of Parliament behind it, and in front of it stands Claire Walters, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK, Warinder Juss MP, Fleur Anderson MP, Ruth Cadbury MP, John Milne MP, Brian Matthew MP, Alex Mayer MP, Mike Wood MP, Jennie Martin MBE, Chair of Bus Users UK, Lydia Horbury, Director for England, Bus Users UK, Paul Sainthouse, Managing Director of Dawsongroup and International President of CILT, Sir Roger Gale
Representatives from Bus Users UK and RSPB Newport (with a toy bird perched on her hat) wave giant red hands at the RSPB Wetlands centre
4 representatives from Angus Council, Bus Users UK and Stagecoach line the pavement in front of a bus stop waving giant red CTBM hands with a bus alongside them
A life size model of a triceratops with two giant red CTBM hands on its horns
Close up of Claire Walters and Jennie Martin inside the coach station smiling broadly with the top of a red hand showing
A young guide dog looks at the camera from a bus doorway with two giant red hands for CTBM and MDYW
Tom Quay, Laura Creaven, Joan Aitken, Jeff Anderson, Charlie Barnes and Jennie Martin stand in front of the Coventry FC FA Cup Winners Bus at the Coventry Transport Museum
David Hall, Welsh Government, Antony Goozee, MD, National Express West Midlands, Lydia Horbury, Director for England, Bus Users UK, Claire Walters, Chief Executive, Bus Users UK, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, Mark Whitelocks, MD, Stagecoach Midlands, Anne Shaw, Executive Director, Transport for West Midlands, Toby J France, Head of Commercial, Midlands at Arriva Bus, Jennie Martin, Chair, Bus Users UK in front of the Coventry Transport Museum
Photo montage featuring a Coventry bus, the CTBM logo and giant red hand, and the Coventry Transport Museum
Portrait photo of Lydia Horbury, currently Bus Users UK direct for England, Lydia has shoulder length fair hair, blue/grey eyes and is wearing a soft white high-necked top