Bus to the Future event success!

On Saturday 13th September, ITP coordinated Bus to the Future – a free, family-friendly celebration of bus travel in Milton Keynes. Delivered in partnership with Get Around MK, the event formed part of our ongoing work to promote sustainable travel in the city.

The event explored the Past, Present, and Future of bus travel:

• In the Past zone, visitors discovered the heritage of buses in Milton Keynes
• In the Present zone, our expert team offered journey planning advice, handed out route maps, and helped people feel more confident using the bus
• In the Future zone, the Ohmino autonomous vehicle team provided free 15-minute rides throughout the day. These proved hugely popular, with a steady queue of curious passengers eager to experience driverless travel for the first time.

The day was a great success and there was a great atmosphere, with our team speaking to over 200 people, with 130 receiving personalised travel advice. ‘Bus bingo’, journey planning support, and guidance on how to catch the bus in Milton Keynes were all well received and helped us engage a wide range of visitors.

Held at Midsummer Place in central Milton Keynes, the event was a real team effort - we were joined by representatives from Milton Keynes Council, Arriva, and the Milton Keynes Bus Users Group, all helping to raise the profile of the Get Around MK brand in a fun and engaging way.

We also trialled new engagement techniques, including a 360° video photo booth provided by GO 360, which captured the interest of many attendees. Promotion in the lead-up to the event through social media and partner channels achieved a total reach of 25,230 people and nearly 50,000 campaign views online.

Our main goal was to raise awareness of the Get Around MK brand and to ensure that both residents and visitors know how to access information to catch the bus – and we’re proud to say we achieved that.