Boroughs and partners

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Catch the Bus Month

Catch the Bus Month

About this activity

Suitable for all schools and nurseries.

NB: We’re bringing together all the TfL education programmes, including STARS, under one exciting new umbrella programme called TfL Travel for Life. They will be the same great programmes, but with a new name and a new look, easier online process and dedicated support team. STARS for primary schools will be renamed TfL Explorers. STARS for secondary schools will be renamed TfL Pioneers.

Catch the Bus Month is a nationwide campaign taking place in September that encourages people to take the bus rather than drive. It aims to reduce congestion and the stress of commuting by car, and support the economy.

Here are some activity ideas you could use to mark the week at your school:

  • Challenge those pupils who live too far away to walk to catch the bus to school at least once during the campaign
  • Run a Catch the Bus Month poster competition
  • Ask your pupils to come up with social media content to help promote Catch the Bus Month via your school’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, blogs and newsletters. (Remember to use the campaign hashtag #CTBM)

The Catch the Bus Month website has lots more ideas and resources to support your activities.

Work with your school travel working group, or TfL Explorers Ambassadors to come up with creative ideas to celebrate the month to support your schools’ own travel targets.

Make sure you support pupils who don’t normally take the bus to plan their route. You could use ideas from the Pupil Journey Planning activity to do this. Younger children can take the bus with their parent/carer.

How to evidence your activity

  • Involve your borough officer: Share your ideas, agree your targets and discuss any challenges you face
  • Add your story to the TfL Travel for Life website. Explain the activity, add photos and include pupils’ feedback. Also include any promotional materials you produced

Activity steps

1
Get ready
Visit the Catch the Bus Month website to find out the dates of the next campaign, access information and resources and to register your school to take part
2
Plan the week
Work with your school travel working group or TfL Explorers Ambassadors to decide which activities you’d like to run to mark the month and plan your next steps
3
Shout about it
Promote your Catch the Bus Month activities to the wider school community through posters, in your school newsletter, and on the website
4
Catch the bus
Celebrate those who manage to take the bus instead of coming by car the most at the end of the month!
5
Check for success
Ask pupils and staff how they found the campaign month, and record their feedback. Keep a record of the numbers taking the bus before, during and after the month to find out what impact the campaign had on travel choices at your school
6
Tell your story
Feedback to your borough officer and add your story to the TfL Travel for Life website

Tags

  • Public transport

This activity counts towards:

  • Travel activity

How it helps

  • Promotes use of public transport
  • Encourages independent travel
  • Eases congestion at school gates

Resources

Useful links, templates and case studies to support this activity