'Birthday buses' website officially goes live
You can now apply for a free bus pass which will cover the entirety of your birthday month
The website for residents to order their free passes ahead of the Birthday Buses scheme has officially gone 'live'.
The Birthday Buses scheme, which lasts for a year, gives locals a free bus pass for the entirety of their birthday month, and officially launches next month, following a delay in Government approval of the £8 million scheme.
Every resident in the West of England is eligible for the scheme, thanks to an innovative initiative from the Metro Mayor Dan Norris, which is hoped to help people with the cost of living crisis, as well as helping to ease congestion, and encouraging more of us to use public transport.
It's also part of WECA's plans to make the West of England a net zero carbon region by 2030.
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.”
The Mayor also explained how the scheme has been widely backed by transport experts including BusUsersUK saying Birthday Buses was “putting us on the map and making the West of England the envy of the country.”
According to stats from the West of England Mayor, the economic impact of congestion costs the West of England £300 million a year and, is responsible for around 300 early deaths a year.
This scheme is hoped to mitigate that.
Residents will need an address in the West of England and a digital photo to apply for their free bus pass. Under 18s will require additional ID.
You can order your free birthday bus pass on the official website.
Read more: 'Birthday buses': passengers unable to apply for passes days before launch