Commuter Challenge

However, James's efforts aren't be simply along the lines of 'bus, bike and car' - oh no... James is trying some more unusual methods of getting from A to B.

His list includes: cycling, walking, electric car, heelies (trainers with wheels), segway (a kind of electric scooter) and powerisers (stilts with springs)!

You can follow James's progress each weekday on BBC Radio Derby - listen to Andy Whittaker's Breakfast Show for regular updates (use the link on the right) and see more on BBC East Midlands Today each evening from 6.30 pm.

Day 5: The Bus

Journey Time – 31 minutes

Return Journey Cost - £3.20 (if using subsidised 10 trip ticket)

Checked out the timetable the night before and chose my bus. My expectations were quite low, because of the need to catch a connection in the city centre.

I came out of the house 2-3 minutes before the bus was due and walked the 20 metres to a bus stop!

This was no further than if I’d parked a car across the road! Waiting for the bus, I realised that this would be the only trip where I was relying on somebody else to get me to work on time, and that was a little bit disconcerting.

As I waited for the bus I watched the cars going by, and it was interesting that nearly all of them had just one person in them…

The bus pulled up almost exactly on time, so I paid my £1.10 and went to get a seat.

There were about 20 people on board, and nobody was sat next to any body, so I followed suit and went to the back of the bus.

The bus was clean and comfortable, and it was nice to look at things that you normally drive past without noticing. However, I couldn’t help but think I was heading in the wrong direction for work!

Progress was rapid, as the traffic was clear, and we turned left onto Phoenix Street  (buses only), I realised I was going to get into the City Centre inside 5 minutes! But it wasn’t to be!

The bus was early, so the driver pulled in, fiddled about with something above her head and about a minute and a half later, started again. We pulled in on time at the bus stop, about a 7 minute journey.

I was passed a free newspaper, and then spotted the Unibus at the top of the Morledge, so I jogged onto Albert Street, pressing the button at the crossing to ensure I had time to get to the stop before the Unibus!

I boarded the Unibus, and enjoyed a smooth journey until I was dropped off at the front door of the University! This was took 4 minutes less than walking, although it was probably at least 4 mile trip for a 2 mile journey!

The bus surprised me today, it was good. I don’t see myself using this mode to commute again though, simply because of Geography. However, if I lived on the other side of town, lets say Alvaston, it would have been a good time saving over walking.

The change was excellent today, and with a 10 minute Unibus frequency, this shouldn’t normally present a problem. It’s also quite satisfying to know the Unibus is subsidised for staff and students through the car parking fees at the Kedleston Road site.

Today was good, but I do realise it might not always be this easy…in heavy traffic, the time would be longer, and connecting buses may get delayed… and that uncertainty would make me feel a little uneasy.