The teen who clocks up tens of thousands of miles on coach trips

Jordan Stewart was 13 when his mum allowed him to make his first solo coach trip.

He made the 22-mile trip to Perth from his home near Kelty in Fife – then returned on the same bus.

It was the start of a daily obsession which, from the age of 16, saw him travelling as far as London by coach.

Now 19, Jordan clocks up tens of thousands of miles a year on coach travel and has just returned from a three-day trip from Glasgow to Sofia in Bulgaria.

But he rarely stops to take in the sights of his destination. Instead he waits while the bus is cleaned and refuelled, before jumping back on and heading home.

His coach trips normally take him across Scotland and he makes the journey to London twice a month before getting straight back on the return bus.

“Every day is different, every trip you see something different. It might be the same place but you see something different,” he told BBC Scotland News.

Jordan, who is autistic, has a pass which allows him to book tickets for free in Scotland but he pays full price when he travels further afield.

He always books two sets so he has more room to be comfortable, and makes sure he is behind the driver so he can watch the dashboard.

His dream is to become a coach driver, which he can apply for when he becomes 21.

“I’ve always liked transport ever since I’ve been a wee boy with buses and trains being my main thing,” he said.

“Maps and timetables I studied them like anything. I’m very times conscious and I hate when a bus is early and I hate when a bus is late. I’m always watching the time.”

He has thousands of maps and timetables at home and his bedroom is covered in coach information and leaflets.

In the last few years he has become a fan of the company Flixbus and has struck up friendships with some of the drivers.

Sandra Starkey, who works with her husband William on long-haul coach journeys, said Jordan was on their very first trip with Flixbus.

“We have now become friendly with him and ever since then he comes on the journeys with us,” she said.

“Jordan is a superfan. He knows everything about Flixbus. He can tell you every service, where they are, what they are doing.”

She added: “He’s so kind when we have travelled up from London. He will be waiting for us in Edinburgh bus station and he brings me a big cup of tea because he knows I’ve not had one on the journey and he knows I don’t take milk or sugar.

“On my husband’s birthday he bought him a pair of Flixbus socks to match his uniform.”

Sandra said Jordan liked to take photographs of the coaches, and to sit behind the driver and watch the “digital things on the dash”.

“He likes to know if you get an over-speed. That can happen if you’re going down a hill,” she said.

“It flashes up and you have to bring yourself back down before you get recorded on it. It sometimes happens.”

She said she would like to see him get a job with Flixbus as he is so dedicated to it.

“He’s extraordinary, there is nobody else like that,” she said.

On longer journeys, when two people take turns to drive, Jordan will talk to the resting driver.

“We have a good laugh, it can be a good trip,” he said.

“I just enjoy travelling, I go for the journey.”

He added: “I find it so relaxing.

“I have my extra seat beside me for comfort and I make sure I have lots of juice because I was once stuck all night on the A9 from Inverness when there was a fatal crash and the bus couldn’t fit down the diversion.”

And what’s his tip for the perfect journey?

“Make sure you take lots of juice and battery packs so you can listen to your phone.”