Passengers on buses between Clacton, Walton and Colchester will enjoy an extra chance for conversation on May 14th.
Chatty Bus Champions will join bus journeys throughout the day to engage with passengers and encourage opportunities to talk.
The Chatty Bus initiative, which runs throughout the year, was developed to highlight the vital role the bus network plays in connecting people, helping to reducing isolation and loneliness within communities, not only by creating opportunities to access activities but also to build connections and friendships during journeys.
As part of activities for Mental Health Awareness Week, Chatty Bus Champions will be travelling on the Hedingham & Chambers route 97/98 (Clacton Pier to Walton on the Naze) and route 74/76 (Clacton Pier to Colchester) between 10am and 2pm. Whether you’re already on board or want to join in, hop on a bus on these routes between these times during the day and get talking.
Route 76 will stop at Clacton Bowens International allowing passengers to alight for the North East Essex Sanctuary on Old Road in Clacton, which is the meeting point for regular Wellbeing Walks which take place each Thursday at 11am and last around an hour.
During the day, passengers will also have the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming route changes in Clacton from 1st June which are designed to make services simpler, more reliable and better connected than ever before. The company will also be changing its name to become Konectbus and passengers will have the opportunity to find out more.
Changes will include two new routes, labelled 1 and 1A and replacing routes 136 and 137, while buses will operate on a circular service running both clockwise and anti-clockwise, opening up new journey options.
Other updates include the current service 97 being renumbered to 7, while 97B and 99A will be withdrawn. Passengers will receive a better service between Walton and Clacton with buses every 15 minutes between Holland and Pier Avenue. Services to Colchester will run hourly under the numbers 74 and 76, with 76X being withdrawn to improve punctuality.
A spokesman for Hedingham and Chambers said: “We are delighted to be back out with our team of Chatty Bus Champions this May, to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week across Clacton, Walton and Colchester. Our team will spark conversations with passengers, sharing information and encouraging interactions.
“Every bus journey is an opportunity to access activities, meet new people or learn something new. The importance of bus travel for people in their communities is something we are constantly aware of and so creating simpler and more accessible bus journeys that bring people together is something we are always looking to prioritise.”
