Instead of plugging in headphones or burying heads in books while travelling on public transport, residents in the East of England are actually striking up conversations with strangers, as new research shows over a third (36%) have made long-lasting friendships with people they have met on the bus.

Services will be revised throughout the holiday period and will vary by area. A summary of changes to First Bus South’s timetables over the festive period are below:

First Bus South Commercial Director, James Eustace, said: “If you’re using our buses over the festive period, there will be some changes and reductions to our services, to give our hard-working staff some well-earned time off. I’d like to say thanks to all our customers who have travelled with us during the past year. We look forward to serving you on our routes in 2025 and beyond.”

Instead of plugging in headphones or burying heads in books while travelling on public transport, residents in the South West are actually striking up conversations with strangers, as new research shows nearly a quarter (23%) have made long-lasting friendships with people they have met on the bus. 

Instead of plugging in headphones or burying heads in books while travelling on public transport, residents in the South East are actually striking up conversations with strangers, as new research shows nearly a quarter (23%) have made long-lasting friendships with people they have met on the bus. 

First Worcester and Worcestershire County Council have announced changes to services that will see one of the biggest improvements for people travelling by bus in the past 10 years.

Improvements to the services include increased service frequency, new peak time buses, new Sunday services and later evening buses on various routes across the county.

The newly commissioned research by First Bus, one of the UK’s largest bus operators, reveals that the bus is a place where chance encounters evolve into lasting friendships.

Perhaps surprisingly however, despite being famous for their friendliness, the Welsh don’t make the top of the list, being pipped to the post by Londoners, who make the most friends (46%) on the bus. That Welsh warmth comes in a close second at 40%.

Regions most likely to make friends on the bus:

The newly commissioned research by First Bus, one of the UK’s largest bus operators, reveals that the bus is a place where chance encounters evolve into lasting friendships.

However, despite Bristolians’ well-earned reputation for being friendly, Londoners have taken the top spot as the research reveals they make the most friends (46%) on the bus.

Regions most likely to make friends on the bus:

The newly commissioned research by First Bus, one of the UK’s largest bus operators, reveals that the bus is a place where chance encounters evolve into lasting friendships, with over one in five (21%) of those in the South West stating they often meet new people on the bus. 

Also perhaps surprisingly, Londoners make the most friends (46%) on the bus despite being stereotyped as one of the most unfriendly regions in the UK, with the warmth of the Welsh coming in closely behind at 40%. 

Scots are shunning striking up conversations with strangers in favour of plugging in their headphones or burying their heads in books while travelling on public transport as new research shows they are the region least likely to have made long-lasting friendships with people they have met on the bus.

London, UK, 9th December 2024 – First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators, today announces a major milestone on its business transformation journey, as the company launches its new campaign, ‘Moving the everyday’, and reveals a modern update to its iconic branding and logo.