Student Embarks on 850-Mile UK Journey to Make a Point

A photography student dedicated 10 days to journey over 850 miles. England Utilizing public buses to shed light on the difficulties encountered by disabled bus pass owners.

Dan Bowhay, who is 22 years old, utilized his disabled bus pass to make a trip from Land’s End all the way up to Marshall Meadows, located in Berwick-upon-Tweed close to the Scottish border. This route typically takes around nine hours when driving by car.

The senior student at Arts University Bournemouth he started his trip on January 26 and concluded it on February 6.

He couldn't participate in the challenge for traveling on February 1 and 2 because of lower service frequencies during the weekend.

He undertook this trip for an important cause – Dan plans to present a 10-hour long documentary film aimed at raising awareness about his 'restricted liberties' as someone who uses a disabled person's bus pass.

"I'm investigating the extent of freedom and autonomy this pass provides," Dan stated.

During each leg of his journey, Mr Bowhay travelled up to 10 hours a day, including time in transit on a bus and waiting for a connection.

His project, called 'Between These Times', is a 'slow cinema' style movie that focuses on extended scenes and observant shots.

'I've embraced this genre to illustrate my journey through a very deliberate pace, highlighting just how tediously slow bus travel can be by emphasizing all these delays in such an extended manner,' he explained.

Dan’s bus pass is granted under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), which provides free travel by bus in England to those who are disabled.

The pass has its limitations as it is only valid on weekdays from 9.30 am to 11 pm, and is not available in Scotland or Wales, which causes issues for those who commute to work or live near borders.

He originally wanted to travel from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, but was limited to finishing at the border as his bus pass does not work in Scotland.

When Dan developed cataracts in both eyes, he lost his sight. At age four, his left eye was substituted with a prosthetic, and his right eye now only offers him some degree of vision following surgery to replace the lens for treating his cataracts.

His condition affects his vision and depth perception, making driving impossible for him. Instead, he depends on public transportation for getting around.

Dan drew inspiration for his film from the challenges of using public transportation autonomously, which he faced growing up in Bishops Waltham, Hampshire.

"I frequently visit hospitals in Southampton for appointments, but managing to get there on my own is nearly impossible," he stated.

He mentioned that relocating after university doesn’t seem 'feasible' because the insufficient public transportation options in the region restrict his autonomy.

Out of the 26 buses Dan rode during his 10-day trip, he mentioned that just three had both audio and video announcements for indicating stops, with only one having the latter.

During his journey, he encountered various issues such as bus delays lasting up to 40 minutes each day, wait times of multiple hours for connecting services, and problems with validating his pass, which frequently led him to show his pass directly to the driver.

Dan anticipates increased funding for buses and believes that the 'general public' should become more aware of the difficulties encountered by individuals with disabilities when utilizing public transportation.

The movie will be screened during AUB’s summer exhibition from July 10 to 21, and also at the Aberrations Collective exhibit in Copeland Gallery, London, running from July 31 to August 3.

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