Why Bus and Coach Companies Should Be Using Radio Advertising in 2025
In today’s busy transport sector, Radio Advertising offers a powerful and cost-effective way for bus and coach companies to promote their services. Whether you operate local bus routes, school transport, contract travel or coach trips, radio helps you reach the right people — exactly when they’re thinking about how they travel.
As part of Bauer Media, we offer access to millions of listeners across the UK, from cities to coastal towns, and we’re already helping transport brands grow through radio.
Here’s how it works, why it’s so effective, and what it could mean for your business.
Radio Advertising Reaches People on the Move
Bauer Media reaches millions of people every week — and many of them are on the move.
- 8.3 million of our listeners (48% of our audience) use public transport during the week, including buses, they’re 6% more likely to do so than the national average.
- 6.9 million listeners travel to work, they’re 18% more likely to do so than the UK average.
- 6.7 million use a car to travel to work, making them 27% more likely than the national average, ideal if you’re offering alternatives like cost-saving bus options or park & ride.
And while car travel remains dominant, 1.9 million listeners (11%) disagree with the statement: “I would choose a car over public transport”, showing a growing audience open to alternative travel solutions.
(Source: TGI GB 2025 March. Listened in the last month.)
What is Digital Audio, and Why Does It Matter?
Digital Audio refers to audio content streamed via the internet, including live radio, podcasts, music playlists and catch-up shows and it’s changing how people consume audio on the move.
People increasingly listen through apps like Rayo while on buses and coaches using headphones. In fact:
- Smartphones now account for 28% of all digital radio listening hours
- Among 15–34s, over 50% listen to live radio on their phones weekly
(Source: RAJAR MIDAS Winter 2023)
This creates an opportunity to speak to your ideal customer, the person sitting on public transport, already thinking about travel, routes, and how they’re getting from A to B.
Headphones = High Impact
When your audience is travelling alone, listening with headphones, they’re in a high-attention environment. Research shows that audio ads in these settings are more immersive and memorable than those played over speakers.
(Source: Radiocentre Hear and Now)
Your message becomes personal, direct, and powerful.
Why Work with Bauer Media?
As part of Bauer Media Audio, Europe’s leading commercial radio operator, we offer national and local reach through:
- Greatest Hits Radio: music from the 70s, 80s, 90s
- Hits Radio: big hits for 25–44s
- KISS, Absolute Radio, Magic, Planet Rock, Jazz, and many more
Our local stations are rooted in their communities, from Norwich to Newcastle and Blackpool to Bristol. You can target by postcode, region, interest, or travel behaviour, using traditional airtime or digital audio.
Real Results for Bus and Coach Companies
We partnered with Blackpool Transport Services on multiple multi-platform video campaigns, combining traditional radio, digital audio, and video production to maximise reach and engagement.
- Recruitment Campaign: Aimed to attract new talent by positioning Blackpool Transport as a vital part of the community, helping people get to where they need to be each day.
- Take the Tram Campaign: Encouraged people outside Blackpool to travel in by train and explore the coast via the iconic tram network, promoting 11 miles of golden beach.
As a brief that came to us during a national rail strike, cost of living crisis, fuel crisis and a climate emergency, timing was perfect. Even the bare minimum of preliminary research revealed an increase in rail prices of 3.8%, a 42% increase in petrol prices and a 7% increase in parking prices on average across Lothian’s main patch: Edinburgh.
Lothian Buses had the perfect salve for the price burn that comes with running a car, they’d capped their travel rate at £20 per week (no matter how much you travelled).
Here’s What Your Audio Could Sound Like
We’ve helped dozens of transport brands craft their perfect radio script. Here are just a few examples of audio we’ve created for transport campaigns:
Awareness Campaign
Weather Related Dynamic Content
Special Transport / Timetable Changes
Driver Recruitment
Want to hear a demo for your company? Just ask! We’ll send samples or create a bespoke script for you.
Radio Advertising That Gets You Results
Whether you’re encouraging commuters to leave the car at home, launching new routes, or building awareness of your brand, Radio Advertising can deliver. It’s trusted, cost-effective, and highly targeted and it works.
Let’s build a campaign that:
- Promotes your services on air and online
- Targets the right listeners by location or travel behaviour
- Drives results you can measure
Ready to Get Started?
Get in touch with our expert team at Hits Radio Advertising and we’ll help you plan the perfect campaign for your bus or coach brand.