Abi recently registered to BetterPoints York and pledged to leave her car at home in return for a York by bus smartcard loaded with 5 days of free bus travel. She kindly took the time to tell us about her bus travel experience and that of the app.
To claim a smartcard for yourself and for the chance to win a £70 All York monthly bus ticket over the festive period, download the app via the App Store or Google Play or by scanning the QR code at the bottom of the page.
“For most journeys I would drive. I have office space in a couple of locations in York, one being the city centre, and I would jump in the car to get there.
I would use the bus occasionally but only for long distance journeys on weekends. I didn’t consider commuting by bus for various reasons. Comfort being one. I did not want to deal with the cold and rain, especially if heading out for a meeting. Another reason was a lack of awareness of the local bus options available to me.
That changed after attending a sustainability event with the Green Business Forum, where I signed up to BetterPoints York and was given the opportunity to receive the smartcard.
The challenge has made me appreciate that even I, a local business owner, can make small changes that will contribute towards a much bigger effort.
I first used my smartcard to head into York for a meeting. I hopped on near York University and even though I initially got on the wrong bus I still managed to get to my meeting in time! The services run so frequently, every 10 minutes or so, that my mistake didn’t prove costly.
That little hiccup aside, it was a very smooth and stress-free travel day. I didn’t have to worry about parking, and I even got to have a chat with a lovely lady at the bus stop. The new e-buses are really pleasant too.
I have one day remaining on my smartcard, but I will definitely be topping it up. The bus has proven very easy for getting to coffee meets and networking events. It also means I can have a few after work drinks and not worry about driving home!
I like that BetterPoints, unlike many tracking apps, focuses on encouraging positive travel as well as physical fitness. My experience with the app and using the bus has made me realise I don’t need to be so reliant on the car.”
