Pledge a small change to your travel habits for the good of the planet this Earth Day

We are marking Earth Day which is on Saturday 22 April - by encouraging you to travel sustainably and have a day out by bus.

On Earth Day people across the world from all backgrounds come together to advance sustainability and highlight the need to protect the climate and environment.

“For our part, we want to encourage those living within our community to help ease congestion and improve air quality here on the island - by choosing to leave their vehicles at home just twice a month for the rest of the year and switch their journey to bus, rail or bicycle,” said Southern Vectis managing director, Andrew Wickham.

“Our bus fleet is among the newest and cleanest on the south coast. Over recent years, we have introduced a large number of brand new buses to operate our services across the region - with more to follow this year. Many of these sport the very latest Euro 6 engine - releasing fewer emissions than the average new diesel car.

“Earth Day ties in perfectly with what we are trying to achieve. Buses provide the perfect and affordable solution to reducing air pollution - with just one double decker having the potential to remove up to 75 cars from our roads. With this in mind, we’re proud to have invested millions of pounds in improving the comfort and reliability of our services here.

“This is also an excellent time to remind our customers that they can travel on any single journey on our buses for £2 or less, as part of the government’s fare cap scheme, which has been extended until the end of June.

“They can also use any payment method - including tap on, tap off contactless, the app, and cash.”

Motorists typically make around 600 car journeys annually. Switching just one in every 25 of these journeys to a bus - equivalent to a couple of trips a month - would reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by two million tonnes per year.

Here are some ideas of days out by bus you could do this World Earth Day

Route
2 or 3	A visit to see the Donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary. Wonder round the grounds seeing all the donkeys and grab a slice of cake in the excellent cafe. Route 3 stops right outside.
1	Visit the Sailing capital of the world by a day out to Cowes. With a huge selection of restaurants and boutique shops there is plenty to see. Wander along the waterfront towards Gurnard and grab an Ice Cream.
8	This route from Newport or Ryde visits a whole host of attractions on the Island. How about a family day out to Robin Hill - they have a brand new water pillow where you can jump and feel like you are on water but you don't get wet. How about visiting Arreton Barns there is a selection of things to see including the Maritime museum, glass works and The Dairyman's Daughter for a refreshment stop. Or stay on to Sandown and visit our charity of the year The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary or learn about the island dinosaur history at nearby Dinosaur Isle.
12	Probably one of the nicest routes from Newport to The Needles. Taking in pretty villages and The Military Road offering amazing views from the top deck. Get off in Freshwater for a visit to Farringford House and Gardens or stay on to see the Needles.
9	If you would like to visit Havenstreet and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. Route 9 takes you to Wootton Station where you can pick up the Steam Train.
Summer Links	A trip to Tapnell farm. There is so much to see and do. Meet farmyard friends, including sheep, miniature donkeys, pigs and alpacas, or head out to the Wallaby Walkabout to get up close with our friendly wallabies and cheeky meerkats. There is a play barn, soft play area, construction corner, zip wire, trampolines and giant jumping pillows! Kids of all ages (yes, even parents and grandparents!) love the pedal karts, mini golf and football shoot-out area too.
4 or 5	To East Cowes where you can visit the Summer Home of Queen Victoria - Osborne House. A great day out for the whole family including access to the beach. The Classic Boat Museum Gallery is located on the waterfront in East Cowes and you can learn about the Island Maritime history.