Are we getting a little too car-ried away? Four-fifths admit reaching for the car keys for journeys that are a short walk away

The shortest journeys can have the biggest impact: on traffic, our wallets, and the planet. Yet despite 58% of people agreeing that buses are easy to navigate, many of us are guilty of reaching for car keys for surprisingly short journeys. In fact, 78% of people admit to driving for journeys that are less than one mile.

“Using the car for our journeys might feel easier in the moment, but it comes at a cost: more congestion, more pollution, more stress”, explains Debra Goodwin, Chief Customer Officer, at Stagecoach.

New research from Stagecoach looked into the nation’s relationship with their daily commutes. Aside from unveiling our love for running on car fumes, it also found that traffic congestion is our biggest vice, with it being a major source of daily stress for two-fifths (40%) of us.

“It’s Monday morning and you're sat in your car, drumming your fingers on the steering wheel as traffic crawls along at snail's pace and you begin contemplating all the things you could be doing if you weren’t stuck in traffic. Sound frustratingly familiar? You won’t be alone”, says Debra.

“We're at a crossroads in how we think about transport. Climate change, air quality, cost, mental wellbeing and community connection – these aren't abstract issues anymore. They're daily realities affecting all of us.

“The good news is that solutions don’t have to be costly, nor do they require massive lifestyle changes or expensive technology; they’re already there, running reliably on routes designed around our needs.”

With September being Catch the Bus Month, Stagecoach has decided to dig deeper into our relationship with cars and how hopping on the bus may be the simplest, and most effective solution.

Hit the carbon brakes

Buses offer a smarter, calmer way to travel, and every journey on them helps reduce our impact on the environment.

In fact, with nations across the globe rushing to meet net zero targets, a whopping 84% say buses are important for the UK's net zero climate solution. Yet only 18% have actually taken a bus in the last month.

“Buses aren't just moving people around; they're quietly working as congestion-busters and air-cleaners. They carry 11 million passengers every single day, enabling people to earn, learn, and spend in local communities”, says Debra.

She explains how one full double-decker bus can take up to 75 cars off the road²:

“Each person who swaps their daily car commute for a seat on a full double-decker bus could save around half a tonne of CO₂ per year¹.”

That’s equivalent to:

• Charging your phone once a day for roughly 482 years
• One passenger’s share of a flight to Europe
• Powering your home for a whole month

Driving away the bus myths

“Even though buses reduce congestion – something 37% of people agree on - we’re guilty of hopping in the car for trips that we can walk in just 20 minutes”, adds Debra.

“This is because many think that buses are slow and inconvenient - but today’s services often have dedicated bus lanes to glide past traffic, and with real-time tracking apps, you can plan your journey down to the minute, removing the guesswork of ‘when will it arrive?’”.

And even though buses account for two-thirds of all public transport journeys in the UK (in Scotland, that figure jumps to 78%³), there remain many lingering misconceptions about bus travel that might be holding some people back.

"Many think that buses are uncomfortable, but today's buses come equipped with comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, and USB charging ports. You can catch up on emails, scroll through social media, or simply relax whilst someone else handles the driving and parking stress”, explains Debra.

When you compare the cost of a bus ticket to fuel, parking, insurance, and maintenance, the savings are clear - especially for regular journeys. “People could save an average of £380⁴ on fuel a year if they swapped their daily commute”, Debra shares.

But beyond this, the humble bus also connects communities, linking homes with schools, shops, hospitals, and workplaces. “There’s no circling for parking, no stress about traffic fines or drink-driving limits. You just step on, sit down, and arrive refreshed”, she adds.

“Bus journeys give you time – time to read, listen to podcasts, make phone calls, or simply decompress. In a car, you're locked into driving mode, getting frustrated with the traffic on the road, but on a bus, you're free to use that travel time productively or relaxingly.”

Debra encourages us to try the bus for a regular journey: “Maybe it's your commute to work, where parking is expensive and traffic is predictably awful. Perhaps it's weekend trips to the city centre, where finding parking is like playing an expensive, time-consuming game of chance”, she concludes.

Ready to give bus travel a try? Visit your local Stagecoach website to explore routes and plan your journey.

This Catch the Bus Month, download the Stagecoach app for real-time updates and easy ticket purchasing, and discover how choosing the bus can change your daily commute.