From the stately red double deckers that appear on most postcards of London to quaint single-deckers that trundle along country lanes linking farms and market towns, buses form the core transport system for many UK residents. However making sense of this system is often difficult.
The confusion arises because each part of the UK has its own bus transport system which covers a limited area. These are operated by town and city councils throughout the country. For example Wales, a tiny principality of 5 million people is served by 65 independent bus operators.
To the uninitiated, some of these services, especially away from the major cities, may seem wayward and erratic. This is because they are often geared towards local conditions. So the timetable may make no sense to the visitor but fit in perfectly with the travel plans of local schoolchildren or factory workers whose schedule it's intended for. Sometimes, certain buses only run on market day and this day may vary from month to month. Should you travel on market day, you may share the vehicle with clucking chickens or sacks of vegetables. And you may find that weekend services are very limited or even non-existent. But for all their shortcomings, nothing beats travel by local bus for getting to know an area and its inhabitants.
If you plan to travel by bus in an unfamiliar area, the best thing to do is telephone Traveline or visit a tourist information centre. The later usually offer maps and timetables for all forms of transport in their area.
The confusion arises because each part of the UK has its own bus transport system which covers a limited area. These are operated by town and city councils throughout the country. For example Wales, a tiny principality of 5 million people is served by 65 independent bus operators.
To the uninitiated, some of these services, especially away from the major cities, may seem wayward and erratic. This is because they are often geared towards local conditions. So the timetable may make no sense to the visitor but fit in perfectly with the travel plans of local schoolchildren or factory workers whose schedule it's intended for. Sometimes, certain buses only run on market day and this day may vary from month to month. Should you travel on market day, you may share the vehicle with clucking chickens or sacks of vegetables. And you may find that weekend services are very limited or even non-existent. But for all their shortcomings, nothing beats travel by local bus for getting to know an area and its inhabitants.
If you plan to travel by bus in an unfamiliar area, the best thing to do is telephone Traveline or visit a tourist information centre. The later usually offer maps and timetables for all forms of transport in their area.