Dan Bowhay photographs the “factual reality” of being a disabled passenger on public transport

“What freedoms and independence does the disabled concessionary bus pass truly afford people with disabilities?” asks Dan Bowhay, the photographer who spent 10 days, 19 hours, 33 minutes and 15 seconds travelling the length of England on local buses using a concessionary bus passes for the disabled. The work exists as a couplet, Between These Times, an over 10 hour long film which streams on his website, and a limited edition photobook containing photos Dan describes as “a subversion of the work of classic road trip photographers”, with him photographing primarily from the buses, his means of transportation, rather than the destinations.

Capturing the oddities of riding the bus that almost everyone in the United Kingdom can relate to, Dan’s photographs communicate the long, slow and unreliable nature of public transportation. Inspired by “slow TV”, the use of non-narrative film formats that show “the facts of what’s happening”, Dan created unembellished and objective viewpoints, all bolstered by the on-the-ground POV that looks out of the same window as any other citizen. “I felt that showing a factual reality was the best way to show and allow others to learn about the issues that I faced,” says Dan.

An exercise in empathy for disabled passengers of public transportation, Dan’s dual narratives prompt the viewer to wonder how helpful concessionary passes really are – the book even comes with an unusable copy of his own pass. As these passes can only be used during off-peak times, the implication that disabled people don’t have anywhere to be is harmful and unhelpful. As the viewer sees the world through the gritty, scratched and fogged windows of British buses, the viewer also sees a literal window into a country that is in critical need of reformation. Dan’s thoughtful text also expands on the history and impact of how buses have been managed historically, as well as information on the route taken, timetables, diversions, and so on.

Dan got some welcome attention recently for the project, and hopes that this could result in positive change. “Firstly, the pass’s time restrictions need to be abolished. The pass was introduced to recognise and provide some support to disabled people by increasing their mobility,” says Dan. “However, the time restrictions preventing its use before 9:30am and after 11pm imply that disabled people’s need to travel, and their disability, does not exist outside of off-peak times.”

However, the book isn’t all doom and gloom. There are moments that capture the poetic beauty of moving from place to place – flickers of sun through windows and glowing yellow skylines blooming into pink. Millions of passengers see Britain during that limbo phase between destinations every day, recognising their country as a palette of stone greys, sunrise oranges and black nights. Regardless of the many issues of public transportation, there are still fragments to be adored, and Dan’s first-hand photographs ground the viewer in the anxieties, daydreams and experiences of the average passenger.