Hop back on your local bus, to remember what it was like, to not have to worry about the stress of traffic jams and road rage. The problem is that most bus services these days are not very frequent. But it’s worth taking a trip to your local tourist office, to pick up a timetable.
In Brighton, The Big Lemon is a private company that used to run its buses on chip fat, donated from local restaurants, who got free ads in return. Today, they are switching from biodiesel to solar electric fleets, but still run possibly the best bus company in England. They have needed no outside investment, as people are so happy to support them.
- Better Buses, Better Cities is a wonderful birthday book for your town planner, on how to plan and campaign for better transit. In Portland, Oregon – buses are cheap and frequent, often free for seniors and disabled people, and there are even volunteers who take disabled and blind passengers around the station, until they find their feet (all station timetables are also in Braille).
- If you are 60, you are entitled to a free bus pass, and you can also use it (off-peak) to travel around England. Read Bus Pass Britain.
- Buses for the Homeless is a charity that takes old London buses, and turns them into shelters for homeless people. Each bus has spaces for eating, sleeping, wellbeing and learning, to help them become part of the community again.