Thousands of trips on the bus were made free throughout August with the help of a youth travel scheme.
Journeys to the beach with friends or days shopping in Grimsby all came free of charge during the summer holidays with anyone under the age of 15 travelling on buses for free.
In total, 166,337 journeys were made – a 116% increase on the same period last year!
Getting the bus helped thousands of young people make the most of their Summer and see the sights around North East Lincolnshire.
Sadly, the scheme has now ended, but you can still get the bus for cheaper than the price of a sandwich thanks to a number of ways:
- Horizon Youth Zone – If you are a member of Horizon, you can get around town on the bus for just £1. Simply show the driver your membership card and they’ll do the rest
- Concessionary Fares Scheme (CFS) – For those of you who can collect a pension or are disabled, you can get the bus completely for free thanks to the CFS. For more information and to apply for a pass, visit Bus pass (Concessionary travel scheme) | NELC
- £1.50 leisure ticket – Recently, the Council announced it would be continuing the £1.50 leisure ticket which means anyone can travel for less than a couple of quid any day after 6pm.
“It’s great to see how well supported this scheme has been”, said Councillor Paul Batson, Portfolio Holder for Transport, Housing and Infrastructure.
“The bus is one of the best ways to get about the borough and there are numerous ways that people can save money whilst doing so too.”
However, throughout the scheme, there was also reports of Anti-Social Behaviour on the buses including vandalism and abusive behaviour towards drivers and passengers.
“People acting like this on public transport need to understand that their actions will not be tolerated,” added Councillor Batson.
“We are a zero-tolerance Council and work closely with our partners in Stagecoach to make ensure everyone has a safe journey and that drivers can do their job without an issue.
“We understand it is the minority that have caused an issue and are grateful to the passengers who made every journey a safe and welcoming one.”
Matt Cranwell, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, added: “We are happy that the scheme helped so many families during the summer holidays and reduced the financial strain on local households, but we were disappointed to observe bad behaviour by a small minority.
“The bus continues to be a great value and easy way for local people, of all ages, to access the services and opportunities that they need. I am proud that my team work hard every day to help our customers get where they want and need to go, and confirm that any bad behaviour towards our team will not be tolerated.”
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