Most Scenic Bus Route

[overthewater]

You can decide what that is. You can vote HERE: http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ScenicBus

Bus users across the UK are being given the chance to vote for their favourite bus journey in a survey to find Britain’s Most Scenic Bus Route, and Stagecoach East Scotland’s very own route 95, travelling through the East Neuk of Fife has been nominated.

The survey is the idea of bus enthusiast Paul Kirby, who was enjoying a summer trip along the Honister Pass in the Lake District and thought it must be one of the most scenic routes in Britain. He wondered if the transport or tourist industry had carried out any research to discover the nation’s favourite bus service. To his surprise, no such survey had been undertaken and he therefore approached the larger bus companies to see if they were interested.

Paul said “I was delighted to receive a quick response from five of the largest bus companies and they were all extremely keen on the idea. The support of First, Arriva, Transdev, Go-Ahead and Stagecoach was vital if the survey was to be a success because they have over 400,000 Twitter followers between them. The survey is a simple tick-box format with passengers voting for their favourite three routes with the option of adding their own not included in the list. It is the largest survey of this type undertaken and I am looking forward to seeing the results”.

Claire Walters, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK which sponsors the survey, added “The main aim of the survey is to celebrate Britain’s best bus routes and encourage more people to experience the spectacular views of our rugged coastline, mountain passes, lakes, moors and dales without having to worry about driving, directions or parking. We are fortunate to still have many regular routes that serve rural communities in such a wide variety of breath-taking countryside”.

 

[gazthomas]

Thank you for sharing. Lots of routes I agree with, plus quite a few omissions. It is good to see the promotion of bus routes that travel through beautiful countryside.

 

[backontrack]

I'm glad to see the Orkney X1 in there!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I've travelled on far too many of those - I need to get out less. 19 of the English ones enjoyed.

Yep - I used to live in the North and now live in the South West!! I voted the 830, A1 and X53 as my faves!

 

[backontrack]

I hope that the 77/77A does well.

 

[daodao]

I have responded to the survey and added High Peak route 58 Buxton to Macclesfield via the Cat and Fiddle - surely one of the most spectacular (and highest) bus routes in England, and far more scenic than route 130 Macclesfield to Manchester which is listed.

PS (2350, 19/2/18): route 58 now appears in the list.

 

[Busaholic]

I've travelled on far too many of those - I need to get out less. 19 of the English ones enjoyed.

Yep - I used to live in the North and now live in the South West!! I voted the 830, A1 and X53 as my faves!

I know I shouldn't do my own (adopted) area down, but I don't actually find the A1 very scenic, apart from the bit down to Sennen Cove. St Buryan may appeal to Straw Dogs fans, of course. I'd put half a dozen routes in Cornwall before the A1, but none of them would be worthy of reaching the top of the tree in this competition imo.

 

[backontrack]

I miss the old Canterbury to Walmer route 14, via Littlebourne, Wingham, Staple, Ash, Sandwich, Eastry, Northbourne and Deal. It was a lovely scenic route.

 

[pemma]

No 58 Macclesfield to Buxton?!

 

[backontrack]

No 58 Macclesfield to Buxton?!

That route is, unfortunately, conspicuous by its absence.

 

[darloscott]

That route is, unfortunately, conspicuous by its absence.

And equally the 65 between Sheffield & Buxton.

I'd also nominate Ensign's X80 over the bridge between Bluewater & Lakeside

 

[backontrack]

And equally the 65 between Sheffield & Buxton

Yeah.

 

[Wirewiper]

i would point out that, if your particular favourite bus route is omitted, the survey does have a section where you can nominate it and say why.

 

[backontrack]

i would point out that, if your particular favourite bus route is omitted, the survey does have a section where you can nominate it and say why.

I like that they have that.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

I personally will not take part in this blatantly biased survey... anyone else notice how not ONE of the suggestions are operated by true independents. It's about time someone investigated Bus Users UK. Their remit is to promote ALL bus travel and the interests of passengers.. I follow Bus Users Cymru on facebook and I have noticed that they are always trumpetting the press releases of big companies but never a squeak about what the local independents are doing. This is absolutely blatant with competition... notably in Cardiff Swansea and Newport where they are always posting about what the established operators are doing... but never a peep about NAT. It also used to be the case with the 701.. never a mention about developments on that route, but the slightest change of the competing 10/20/40 and they posted straight away!

 

[Busaholic]

I personally will not take part in this blatantly biased survey... anyone else notice how not ONE of the suggestions are operated by true independents. It's about time someone investigated Bus Users UK. Their remit is to promote ALL bus travel and the interests of passengers.. I follow Bus Users Cymru on facebook and I have noticed that they are always trumpetting the press releases of big companies but never a squeak about what the local independents are doing. This is absolutely blatant with competition... notably in Cardiff Swansea and Newport where they are always posting about what the established operators are doing... but never a peep about NAT. It also used to be the case with the 701.. never a mention about developments on that route, but the slightest change of the competing 10/20/40 and they posted straight away!

Like (most) local newspapers these days, they just regurgitate press releases and the like, and the groups will always have their positive (for themselves!) press statements ready for filing. As to the composition of Bus Users I've no knowledge, but I do know someone who was on the equivalent rail users group and openly boasted she hadn't been on a train in decades!

 

[carlberry]

I personally will not take part in this blatantly biased survey... anyone else notice how not ONE of the suggestions are operated by true independents. It's about time someone investigated Bus Users UK. Their remit is to promote ALL bus travel and the interests of passengers.. I follow Bus Users Cymru on facebook and I have noticed that they are always trumpetting the press releases of big companies but never a squeak about what the local independents are doing. This is absolutely blatant with competition... notably in Cardiff Swansea and Newport where they are always posting about what the established operators are doing... but never a peep about NAT. It also used to be the case with the 701.. never a mention about developments on that route, but the slightest change of the competing 10/20/40 and they posted straight away!

But do NAT or the independents actually send them anything they can use?

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

But do NAT or the independents actually send them anything they can use?

actually it's usually just a copy and paste of the big group's own facebook post... in any case surely an organisation that is set up to ACTIVELY promote bus travel should ACTIVELY search for things to promote?
of course it's got nothing to do with the fact that their funding comes from the industry itself and by default their biggest donors are the big groups has it?

 

[backontrack]

But do NAT or the independents actually send them anything they can use?

There are lots of scenic routes operated by independents, such as from Sheffield to Castleton, from Macclesfield to Buxton, from Leyburn to Hawes, the Northern Dalesman from Preston to Ingleton, Ribblehead, Hawes, Reeth and Richmond, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Galashiels via Kelso, and from Inverness to Durness.

There is not a single independent route in that survey.

 

[Wirewiper]

I personally will not take part in this blatantly biased survey... anyone else notice how not ONE of the suggestions are operated by true independents. It's about time someone investigated Bus Users UK. Their remit is to promote ALL bus travel and the interests of passengers.. I follow Bus Users Cymru on facebook and I have noticed that they are always trumpetting the press releases of big companies but never a squeak about what the local independents are doing. This is absolutely blatant with competition... notably in Cardiff Swansea and Newport where they are always posting about what the established operators are doing... but never a peep about NAT. It also used to be the case with the 701.. never a mention about developments on that route, but the slightest change of the competing 10/20/40 and they posted straight away!

I will repeat what I said earlier - if there are routes operated by independents (or anyone else for that matter) that you think should have been included, then there is a section of the survey for you to nominate those routes and say why they should be included.

As for investigating Bus Users UK - by all means be critical of them, but as they are not a statutory organisation and have no regulatory powers I am not clear exactly who would be responsible for investigating them.

And as for NAT - what are they doing in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport that is genuinely different and worthy of news reporting?

 

[darloscott]

To be fair to Bus Users UK they recently held a surgery-type event in Middlesbrough and invited us (Stagecarriage) along with the three large groups, and I was able to be there to answer questions and promote our services.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

I will repeat what I said earlier - if there are routes operated by independents (or anyone else for that matter) that you think should have been included, then there is a section of the survey for you to nominate those routes and say why they should be included.

As for investigating Bus Users UK - by all means be critical of them, but as they are not a statutory organisation and have no regulatory powers I am not clear exactly who would be responsible for investigating them.

And as for NAT - what are they doing in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport that is genuinely different and worthy of news reporting?

well in Cardiff and Newport they introduced true cross city routes... something which the incumbent operators had scrapped... most notably Cardiff with it's city centre "bus box". Only after NAT started in Cardiff did Cardiff Bus start linking up a limited number of routes to make cross city services

 

[Mutant Lemming]

The 335 Holmfirth - Wilberlee is a notable absentee from the list - although it was a much better (and sometimes more hair raising) journey on a WYPTE double decker in the days it ran through to Marsden.

 

[randyrippley]

they're missing some of the best routes
e.g, the summer sunday Morecambe - Malham Tarn 881 https://www.dalesbus.org/malhamshuttle.html
or the similarily dated Lancaster - Clitheroe Bowland Explorer https://www.dalesbus.org/bowlandexplorer.html
or possibly the best of the lot Northern Dalesman 830
Preston - Lancaster - Kirkby Lonsdale - Ingleton - Ribblehead - Hawes - Buttertubs Pass - Reeth - Richmond
https://www.dalesbus.org/northerndalesman.html

or maybe the Lancaster - Keswick 555

 

[SCH117X]

I personally will not take part in this blatantly biased survey... anyone else notice how not ONE of the suggestions are operated by true independents.

I spy Hulleys of Baslow, Wright Bros, TLC, South Pennine Community Transport in the list.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

they're missing some of the best routes
e.g, the summer sunday Morecambe - Malham Tarn 881 https://www.dalesbus.org/malhamshuttle.html
or the similarily dated Lancaster - Clitheroe Bowland Explorer https://www.dalesbus.org/bowlandexplorer.html
or possibly the best of the lot Northern Dalesman 830
Preston - Lancaster - Kirkby Lonsdale - Ingleton - Ribblehead - Hawes - Buttertubs Pass - Reeth - Richmond
https://www.dalesbus.org/northerndalesman.html

or maybe the Lancaster - Keswick 555

They do mention the 830 "DalesBus - Middlesbrough to Ingleton via Swaledale and Buttertubs Pass - Arriva North East"

I spy Hulleys of Baslow, Wright Bros, TLC, South Pennine Community Transport in the list.

Looks like they've added a lot more independent ones now as people have made suggestions...exactly as the process was supposed to work!

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Shame that the 17 Horsham to Brighton via Henfield, the 74 Horsham to Amberley via Storrington, the 265 Bath to Salisbury via Trowbridge, the 30, 31X and the 40 York to Easingwold / Helmsley, the 61/62 Hillsborough to Bradfield Circular, the 273/274 Sheffield to Castleton via Fairholmes and the 61 Glossop to Buxton aren't on the list.

Now these are rural bus services.

 

[backontrack]

They do mention the 830 "DalesBus - Middlesbrough to Ingleton via Swaledale and Buttertubs Pass - Arriva North East"

It doesn't even go to Middlesbrough...

Shame that the 17 Horsham to Brighton via Henfield, the 74 Horsham to Amberley via Storrington, the 265 Bath to Salisbury via Trowbridge, the 30, 31X and the 40 York to Easingwold / Helmsley, the 61/62 Hillsborough to Bradfield Circular, the 273/274 Sheffield to Castleton via Fairholmes and the 61 Glossop to Buxton aren't on the list.

Some cracking suggestions there.

 

[Darkinsider]

Central London! If you live outside of London pretty much every route which departs central London is amazing scenery.

Scenic does not have to be fluffy clouds, rolling hills, cows.... just ask anyone who enjoys model railways.

 

[jonesy3001]

I cannot believe the 400 Trans Lancs Express Bolton-Bury-Rochdale-Oldham-Ashton-Denton-Stockport-Manchester Airport (summer sundays) isnt on the list, used to be good bus ride to the airport in the summer before the train station got built.