Local rural buses tend to have low passenger numbers (at least in Dorset) and usually a designated space for wheelchairs and buggies. By removing one or two more seats – or replacing them with folding seats as on some trains – bicycle spaces could be provided. A company might test the potential demand by experimenting with one or two designated and well-advertised routes – for example to the nearest cycleway at a weekend, ie. a non-school day. Of course, the idea applies in other contexts, not only rural: cyclists might want to use public transport between towns, taking their bikes to local journeys at each end. Some companies on the Scottish borders (Border Buses, I think) have this facility as do those on some routes in Switzerland, although these carry bikes externally on hooks at the rear.
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