Be greener as you go

We’re all responsible for being kinder to our planet. It’s all about the small changes we make individually to be more sustainable and reduce our carbon footprint.

Yet at some point, we all need to get from A to B, travel is an essential part of our lives. It’s an inconvenient truth that it’s an activity that can produce a lot of emissions, with short-haul flights being the most environmentally impacting way to travel.

Everyone wants to play their part and with megabus we make it easier to be greener. Euro 6 coaches are 95% cleaner* (NOx emissions) than earlier models. They’re also fitted with advanced cruise control and electronic braking systems, which help to make an even more comfortable journey. You’ll also get the added bonus of Wi-Fi**, USB charging points** and on board toilet facilities.

The European Union regulate most vehicle types, coaches included. For each vehicle type, different standards apply but the types of emissions monitored are nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC). Handy fact for you there.

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We’ve continually invested in our fleet since we started 20 years ago and have worked really hard to remove any Euro 1-5 vehicles. 100% of our England and Wales fleet are now Euro 6. We continue to invest in our fleet, with over £8 million being invested in the UK since 2017.

But how does travelling by coach stack up against other ways to travel?

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Figures from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) show travelling by coach emits 33.8g of CO2 per person per kilometre, compared with 44.2g on UK rail. This figure can vary depending on how full they are and the engine type. It’s worth noting that this calculation excludes the journey that commuters take to and from the station – which adds food for thought.

And if you thought that jumping behind the wheel was a better option, you’d be mistaken. If you were travelling in an average diesel car on your own, you’d be producing a whopping 208.9g of CO2 emissions per km.

Over the same distance, coach travel (with full occupancy) produces a tiny fraction of that, totalling 33.8g.

So next time you’re thinking about how to travel, do your bit and travel responsibly with megabus.

*Source: Data provided by Wikipedia.

**Subject to availability and connection.

Source: Zemo Partnership test data and DBEIS Greenhouse gas reporting: coversion factors 2020.

Last updated 14 November 2023 at 10:30