In most large towns in Britain, buses are operated by the local Council. Others are owned by companies which often receive financial help from the Government. On many routes you will see both single-decker and double-decker buses. There is often only one man in charge of the bus and you pay him the fare for your journey when you get on. Some buses have a conductor as well as a driver. The conductor comes round during the journey to collect your fare. If you want to catch a bus, you wait at a bus-stop. Sometimes you have to signal to the driver that you want him to stop, and you do this by holding out your arm. If there are other people waiting at the bus stop, you must queue behind them and allow them to get on the bus first. Buses have a number and the name of their destination on the front. When you pay your money, you get a ticket. You must keep this because an inspector might want to see it. Try to give the conductor the exact fare. You tell the conductor where you want to go and he tells you how much it costs. In some towns tickets are more expensive at peak times.
On a double-decker bus you may smoke only upstairs. On a single-decker you make smoke only if you sit at the back of the bus. When you want to get off the bus, you stand up and walk towards the door. The conductor will ring a bell to tell the driver to stop at the next stop. If there is no conductor, you must ring the bell yourself. In Britain there is also a network of coach services between large towns. Coach journeys are often cheaper than going by rail, but may take longer. The national coach service has offices at the bus-station in most towns where you can get information.
