Though many people think bus travel has gone by the wayside, millions of people ride on a bus every day, and if you count the number of trips, it’s in the billions. Most larger cities and even some smaller ones have local bus service that people ride to get around town. School buses are still used by districts large and small, both to get kids to and from school and for special events such as athletic contests and field trips. And millions of people ride a charter bus every year, whether it’s for a special event or for transportation purposes.
Buses as regular transportation are a must in larger cities. Very few cities have a train or subway system that can get people around the city and out into suburbs, so in those cities, local bus services are important for people who need to get around and don’t have a car. Bus travel as an urban means of transit has been around for nearly 200 years, with intercity buses powered by steam first showing up in Europe in the 1830s. Local bus services have a number of advantages. It reduces traffic, which also reduces pollution. And it provides a way for the poor, disabled and elderly to be independent and get to places they need to go.
School buses are what most people probably think of when they consider bus service these days. The yellow buses are ubiquitous in every city and town in the U.S. Many cities and especially small towns do a lot of busing of students to and from school. Even in districts where most kids walk or are driven to school, buses are used for field trips and as transportation to and from athletic and other events.
Buses also have a role in leisure travel. Many people ride on charter buses for a variety of reasons. More than 750 million people ride on luxury motorcoaches annually. reasons include sightseeing, casino or other tours as well as short-distance travel for an event. Other uses of charter buses include airport travel and uses for special occasions, such as driving around a wedding party. While intercity and intracity bus travel is usually quite cheap compared with other forms of travel, renting a chartered bus is usually quite expensive, which is why it usually is only done for special occasions.
