MyBus - December Blog

To some MyBus is simply perceived as a transport medium that gets people from A to B.

Whilst that is of course true everyone involved in the provision of MyBus, and we would hope our service users also, would agree, that MyBus is more than just a bus service.

To label MyBus as “just another” transport service fails to take account of the type of the journeys that are undertaken on a daily basis and just as importantly, the people making them.

There are many for whom MyBus is their lifeline in helping them carry out activities such as their weekly shopping, attend appointments with their GP or aiding their personal development at college courses or classes. Trips that many of our users would otherwise have great difficulty in making.

Of course there are a great many trips made on MyBus for social purposes too. It's important to acknowledge that for some that trip to the local community centre, lunch club or afternoon at bingo may be their only face-to-face social interaction of the week.

One recent incident highlighted how MyBus proved to be a lifeline, in the truest sense of the word, for one of our users.

Having established a good relationship with the gentleman concerned over a long period of time, the MyBus driver noted that when boarding the bus, the customer was not of his usual demeanour.

Growing increasingly concerned as the journey progressed the driver, noticed his passenger looking increasingly uncomfortable and ill at ease. The driver stopped his vehicle and attended to the gentleman quickly realising medical attention was required.

An ambulance was called for and the driver alerted MyBus staff of the incident, so that the gentleman's daughter could be made aware of what had transpired.

A day or so later the gentleman's daughter called MyBus to express her gratitude to the driver for his swift intervention, which according to the medical staff at hospital had saved her father's life; and to the MyBus staff which meant she was able to quickly be at her father's side when taken to hospital.

Whilst clearly not an every day occurrence the incident illustrates exactly why MyBus is more than simply a bus service. There's a personal touch to MyBus, where relationships are built up between customers, drivers and booking staff; and a level of care exists that struggles to be matched on standard bus services.

We would like to think this is partly why demand for MyBus continues to grow month on month, year on year and why a record number of trips will be carried out by our service users this year.

Compliments of the season to readers of our blog, our partners who help bring you the MyBus service and of course our many service users. See you in 2012 for first blog of the New Year!!