A THIRD of respondents have made new friends on the bus while eight people admitted to having fallen in love. While Cupid’s arrow may not always strike, 41 per cent of people have been happy to simply make someone else smile.

Simon Baxter, Marketing Director at Arriva, commented: “Busy lives mean it’s increasingly difficult to meet new people, so any time out from rushing around or staring at a computer screen and instead being in the company of others has become precious – it’s great to know we can be a part of that. Of course, mobile phones mean we’re never far away from a screen so for those who prefer to socialise online, many of our buses have free wifi.”

The survey showed the success of wifi on Arriva buses, with social media, online shopping, holiday booking and email checking all popular ways to make use of travelling time.

For those less interested in technology, enjoying the view, me-time and reading a book – not forgetting eavesdropping – were also ranked highly by users of the Arriva app. These activities were listed alongside the benefits of not having to worry about other people’s bad driving, traffic jams or finding a parking space.

“Another great thing about our passengers is that they’re nice people,” adds Simon. “With 63 per cent of respondents admitting they’ve helped a stranger at some point when on the bus, it must be reassuring for new users to know they’ll be joining good company.”

Almost 300 Arriva bus app users from across the South East took part in the survey. The app, which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices, enables passengers to track their bus in real time and plan their journey. It includes providing information on the next bus, the nearest bus stop and which bus to catch.

The Arriva Bus App can be downloaded at www.arrivabus.co.uk/app.