Council receives top award for Catch The Bus Month 2025 campaign

23rd December 2025

Bus Users UK have awarded their 2025 Catch the Bus Month Local Authority Engagement Award to The Highland Council.

The Council was one of 376 official Partners signed up to this year's Catch the Bus Month, promoting the huge benefits of bus travel and encouraging more people to get on board.

Chair of the Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Taking part in Catch A Bus Month for the first time has been a very positive experience and we are delighted to receive such a positive endorsement of our campaign.

"During the month of September, we focussed on highlighting the very important role buses play in connecting our communities, reducing traffic and emissions, and keeping life moving. Buses play such an important role in connecting our communities, reducing traffic and emissions, and keeping life moving.

I thank everyone who “got onboard" and helped make our campaign so successful."

Paul Reid, the Council’s Facilities and Fleet Manager said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for our participation and outstanding contribution to Catch the Bus Month 2025. The award highlights the efforts, creativity, energy and commitment of our staff. I would like to thank them, and all our passengers, especially those who took up our special discount offer, for their support. We look forward to supporting the campaign in 2026.

During the campaign the Council involved school pupils by inviting them to their In-house bus depot. They also ran a social media campaign over the month and promoted a discounted 10-journey ticket for their in-house bus service. This proved to be popular with the public as was the public awareness raising event the Council organised in Inverness with representatives from Bus Users UK, D&E Coaches, Stagecoach and CityLink. The focus of the day was to promote the many benefits of using buses including - boosting the economy, reducing congestion and pollution, and improving health and wellbeing.

Lydia Horbury, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK, paid tribute to everyone who supported the campaign. She said: “Catch the Bus Month 2025 showed bus at its very best. These awards celebrate the energy, creativity and commitment of our partners across England, Scotland and Wales, who went above and beyond to engage their communities and champion the value of bus travel. I want to thank everyone who took part and helped make this year’s campaign such a powerful success.”