The red double-decker bus is as iconic as it gets...
Sure, there's the red phone box, Tower Bridge and Big Ben, but without the buses, London would come to a standstill.
London buses are as important as ever, helping tourists and Londoners get around this vast city since 1829, when George Shillibeer began the first ever service. A lot has changed since those days, we no longer rely on horses to pull us along. But, the core aim of the bus system remains the same: to help everyone get to where they need to; whether that's to work, a friend's house, a football stadium, a museum or just nipping out for a quick pint.
But who are the people who drive us, night and day, and how can we give them the appreciation and recognition they deserve?
At Neighbourly Lab, we are fascinated with social infrastructure and understanding how we can modify our environment to increase micro-interactions, which have been shown to have a significant benefit on health and wellbeing. A 2019 study on social interactions conducted by Stagecoach, found that ⅓ of Brits take the bus intentionally, to have contact with another person. This increasing desire for social connection is further highlighted by the behaviour of passengers greeting the driver.
Our previous research with TFL looked into how customers could be encouraged to engage more with their driver by placing stickers we designed at the front of the bus.
We found that on buses with signs encouraging interaction, 30% of passengers greeted the driver upon entering, compared to just 23% on buses without such signs. This 7% increase in greetings would lead to approximately 140 million more interactions per year. We partnered with TFL again to create a campaign to shine a light on the frontline staff of the bus network and to get to know these individuals on a personal level, outside of the driver’s cab.
Sometimes, in this busy day and age, we forget to look up and acknowledge the person stopping the bus and waiting for us to get on, for a number of reasons such as the stress of life and ever-present distraction from our phones. We, therefore, wanted to show you a selection of the amazing people working across the network, highlighting the huge variety of personalities and passions of the people driving our buses, so that next time you tap in, you’ll look up and say “hi there”, and “thanks driver” as you depart.
We spoke to many drivers and station controllers throughout our research, but have chosen to highlight the stories of 11 staff, working across Stratford, North Greenwich and Finsbury Park bus stations.
Through this project, we were able to spotlight a wide range of lives and stories. We met an avid baker who delighted his fellow drivers by using them as taste testers for his latest creations. We encountered a football fanatic who transformed his lockdown hobby into a staggering collection of over 300 football shirts, to the detriment of his partner’s half of the wardrobe! Additionally, we loved visiting a bus driver's exotic family pet shop, where she dedicates most of her free time to helping out and expanding her ever-growing family of animals.
Overall, the 11 different transport workers we spoke to couldn't have been more diverse. They hailed from different walks of life, countries, and cultures, each with unique hobbies and interests. Despite these differences, every person we spoke to appreciated being greeted and thanked for their work by the general public. These small interactions made a positive and significant difference to their day.
Click below to watch the launch & unveiling of posters to the drivers
This campaign has shown that a simple 'thank you' when boarding a bus can make a world of difference to the driver who stopped for you. Together, let's make a conscious effort to express our gratitude for these hardworking individuals, the backbone of our bus networks who tirelessly serve our communities, as without them, London would come to a halt.
No one likes to feel invisible, so make your driver feel seen and appreciated the next time you step onto a bus.
The campaign is now being displayed at North Greenwich and Stratford Bus station
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