Latest news with #freebustravel
BBC News
23-07-2025
- BBC News
Free weekend bus travel announced for August in Leicestershire
People are being offered free bus travel on new routes across Leicestershire during weekends next services will include journeys in Melton Mowbray and Market Harborough on all Saturdays and Sundays in routes operating on Saturdays only will be available to places including Leicester city centre, Loughborough, Hinckley, Coalville, Uppingham and Oakham In County Council said the new services aim to improve access to local amenities, attractions, country parks and leisure destinations. Charles Whitford, the council's lead member for highways and transport, said: "This is a brilliant opportunity to travel completely for free in August and try out new and improved bus services in your area."There is also the added benefit of cutting pollution and helping improve air quality in Leicestershire."Services that will be free at weekends in August include all MC services in Melton Mowbray and all HC services in Market Harborough.A total of 16 LC bus services and all zones on FoxConnect on-demand buses, will be free on Saturdays in LC6 service between Coalville and Hinckley will only be free on 30 county council said the initiative was available to every passenger, with no age can visit attractions including Bradgate Park, Twycross Zoo, Fosse Park, Gates Garden Centre and 1620s House and Garden.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- BBC News
Bristol school children call for free bus travel all year
Children in one area of Bristol are calling for year-round free bus travel after it was announced there would be not be a charge for summer travel for West of England Mayor has agreed to fund trips for under 16s during school holidays but a young campaign group from Hartcliffe says that's not children are planning how they'll use their free bus travel this summer. Nine-year-old Isabel says she'd like to go to the beach and nine-year-old Tommy would like to see Weston Pier. Honey, who's 10, said: "I would like to go see a river and some ducks or something that gets me and my family out for a bit." It was six years ago that children from Room 13, an independent artists' studio based at Hareclive Primary, began their campaign. They visited Helen Godwin — a city councillor at the time — to make their since become West of England Mayor and has given free bus travel for under 16s during the six-week response to their request for year-round free travel she said: "Obviously if I could I would."At the minute it's not something that is feasible to do but I can guarantee that I will always be listening to young people." The children of the original campaign are all grown up now but it's still a pupil of Room 13, Mackenzie Kane, said: "I mainly want them to explore the centre and the museums. A lot of Bristol's major museums are free. Getting to them is now free. Realistically the only thing getting in their way is the effort now."Ingrid Skells, Development Worker at Room 13, said: "Of course there are going to be other factors but the fact that they can get around their city and access everything, that gives children a huge amount that they're not getting in some parts of this city."Eight-year-old Garima added: "I would love to go somewhere that I've never been before and explore Bristol."
The Independent
11-06-2025
- The Independent
Kids to enjoy free bus travel for summer holidays in west of England
Children under the age of 16 will be able to travel for free on buses across the West of England during the school holidays following new investment. The scheme could benefit around 150,000 young people in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire, which make up the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, by simply hopping onboard. There will be no need to get a bus pass or register. The free bus travel offer aims to help people save money and choose greener transport options, the mayor Helen Godwin said when announcing plans at a play park in south Bristol on Monday (9 June). She added: 'It's right that we help people save money and encourage greener travel, and this scheme would do just that. With free travel for 150,000 kids, local families will more easily have busloads of fun during the school holidays. 'This is just the start for a new chapter for the West of England. As well as helping people have a great time over the summer, our first steps on transport should help inspire the next generation of bus passengers.' The proposed plans are set to run from 19 July to 5 September, using some of the £13.5 million of Bus Grant funding secured from the Department for Transport by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. Raya, head girl at primary school Perry Court E-ACT Academy in Bristol, said: "This is brilliant! I don't live that close to my friends – so I will be able to meet up with them more often. Also, I can go into town and get stuff for secondary school in September." Cyrus, head boy at Perry Court E-ACT Academy, said: "This is really helpful as I have a lot of brothers and sisters, but it costs a lot to use the bus – so my mum will find this really helpful! My Grandad can use his bus pass, and I can go with him for free into town. Also, it's better for the environment for us all to use the bus rather than lots of cars." Bus companies Bath Bus Company, First Bus, Stagecoach, and the Big Lemon were also part of the announcement, which featured one of the hundreds of new zero-emission electric buses set to be rolled out across the West following Bristol's first electrified bus depot. Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: 'We're delighted to be able to offer free bus travel for children in the West of England over the summer school holidays. 'We want to give young people the opportunity to explore the region and enjoy all that it has to offer and remain connected to their friends, families and communities. Offering free bus travel will also hopefully mean fewer journeys are made by car which in turn helps reduce congestion and improve air quality.'
BBC News
10-06-2025
- BBC News
Children to get free bus travel for the summer in West of England
Children under the age of 16 are to be offered free bus travel across the is expected to benefit up to 150,000 children living in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath and North East offer, backed by the West of England Combined Authority and funded through a £13.5m government transport grant, will run from 19 July to 5 September. Bus travel for children aged from five to 15 is currently capped at £1 per journey. The new regional mayor, Labour's Helen Godwin, said she wanted families to have "something to look forward to" in the summer. The move was backed by Bristol's Green council. 'Bit of help' Mrs Godwin launched the initiative at a play park in Hengrove, describing it as a much-needed boost for families facing mounting living costs."We really want all families across the West of England to have something to look forward to this summer," she said. "Hopefully this will feel like a bit of a help."The mother of three highlighted the burden transport costs place on families. "If my husband and three kids wanted to go and do something, you're talking about over £15 for us to go out. It's quite a lot of money."The initiative is designed to help children visit friends, explore local attractions, and access free summer Marsh, the head teacher of Perry Court E-ACT Academy, said the offer would be "fantastic" for families who rely on buses."It opens up a lot more options to them - visiting parks, family, museums and seeing friends… This will help with mental wellbeing as well as a benefit for their education."The scheme, which still requires final approval, builds on a wider push to boost public transport use. It follows a recent birthday-month free bus pass scheme for all West of England City Council leader and Green Party councillor Tony Dyer said the plan would reduce barriers for young people seeking out opportunities."We fully support this initiative… With so many events and activities happening across Bristol this summer, this will help make accessing them much easier."The free travel scheme will apply to most local services, though some, such as airport routes, will be exempt.
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- The Guardian
Children to have free bus travel in west of England during summer holidays
Children under the age of 16 will be able to travel for free on buses in the west of England during the school summer holidays in a move benefiting about 150,000 young people. The West of England combined authority (Weca) – covering Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire – plus North Somerset will allow children aged from five to 15 to travel for free with no bus pass or registration required. The move, designed to alleviate cost of living pressures and to encourage people to consider public transport, is the first of its kind in England outside London, where children under 16 can travel free. Announcing the scheme at a play park in south Bristol, the recently elected Labour mayor for the West of England, Helen Godwin, said the offer should alleviate cost pressures for families struggling with the cost of living. 'It's right that we help people save money and encourage greener travel, and this scheme would do just that,' Godwin said. 'With free travel for 150,000 kids, local families will more easily have busloads of fun during the school holidays. This is just the start for a new chapter for the West of England. As well as helping people have a great time over the summer, our first steps on transport should help inspire the next generation of bus passengers.' Bath Bus Company, First Bus and Stagecoach were part of the announcement, which featured one of the hundreds of new zero-emission electric buses to be rolled out in the region over the coming months and years. Raya, the head girl at the primary school Perry Court E-Act academy in Hengrove, Bristol, said: 'I don't live that close to my friends – so I will be able to meet up with them more often. Also, I can go into town and get stuff for secondary school in September.' Cyrus, the head boy at the school, said: 'This is really helpful as I have a lot of brothers and sisters, but it costs a lot to use the bus – so my mum will find this really helpful. My grandad can use his bus pass, and I can go with him for free into town.' It was announced last week that West of England would receive £752m of transport funding for improved buses, more trains, and to explore mass transit in the region. Critics argued that the West of England was shortchanged in receiving less than other authorities, including the smaller Tees Valley authority area. The free bus travel will be funded using some of the £13.5m of bus grant funding secured from the Department for Transport by Weca, separate from last week's cash injection announced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. The school holidays are due to start on 19 July. The proposed free travel offer would run from then until 5 September across the West of England and North Somerset, which is hoping to join the combined authority.
