Residents across the West of England will now be able to claim free bus travel during their birthday month after the scheme was made live following earlier delays.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris launching the initiative | Photo © WECA
Locals can visit the Birthday Bus website to apply for a free month of birthday travel, with every resident in the region offered the chance to take part, thanks to the initiative from Metro Mayor Dan Norris.
Whether you use your Birthday Bus pass for the daily commute or a weekend trip out, the scheme is offered to help during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The scheme is also designed to assist in the region’s wider ambition to grow bus passenger numbers and cut carbon emissions.
It is hoped Birthday Buses will act as a catalyst for bus travel in the West of England and North Somerset regions to boost the number of passengers and, with a whole month of free travel, encourage a long-term shift in travel behaviour.
Mayor Dan Norris said: “I hope Birthday Buses encourage new people to hop on the bus and try it out – perhaps for a regular commute, to go to the shops, a restaurant, or to spend their weekends enjoying the amazing attractions and great beauty of our region.
“If you try it, I think you might like it. Maybe even grow to love it! We really need more people using buses to cut congestion, pollution and noise – and meet our important and very ambitious 2030 net-zero targets.
“I hope this will also be a help to residents during this unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. So please sign up today for your free Birthday Bus pass.
“We can’t keep trying the same things on buses and hoping for different outcomes by magic. What’s great about Birthday Buses is it’s innovative and new.
“It’s about growing passenger numbers so that we can have a sustainable bus network. It’s also helpful for data collection so we can track which new passengers are using buses, how many people make a switch, and long-term changes in bus use.
“This in turn will assist in attracting even more passengers so as to make further improvements to the bus network.”
It is hoped the £8 million birthday bus scheme will mitigate the economic impact of congestion which costs the West of England £300 million a year and, is responsible for around 300 early deaths a year.
The scheme had earlier been delayed due to awaiting final sign-off from the Government.
You can sign up or find out more on the Birthday Bus website here.
