FREE bus travel has been made available for New Year’s Day, following the success of a similar offer before Christmas.
The Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, teamed up with Transport for West Midlands and all the region’s operators, including National Express West Midlands to offer the free travel after 7pm from December 9 to 13.
Now all-day on New Year’s Day, passengers will be able to leave the car at home and board any bus in the West Midlands, saving them cash on fuel and parking fees.
Boost for hospitality industry
It is hoped the offer will be taken up by shoppers, those wanting to go out for drinks or a meal and those wanting to watch their favourite football team.
Mr Parker said: “Our free bus initiative earlier this month proved that when bus travel is affordable and accessible, people will choose it.
“That’s why I’ve already taken steps to bring our bus network under greater public control to make services work better for everyone in the West Midlands.
“In the meantime, I’m delighted to offer initiatives like this one – free bus travel across the region for everyone. At a time when finances are tight, it’s a small gesture to make life a little easier.
“This is the biggest free travel offer of its kind anywhere in the country. No tickets or vouchers are needed – just hop on, enjoy the ride, and let’s make 2025 the year of the bus.”
Antony Goozee, bus strategy and commercial director for National Express, said: “By working in partnership with the Mayor and Transport for West Midlands the free travel offer has helped local bus operators to showcase the convenience of travelling by bus, so we’re looking forward to taking our customers to where they need to be, for free, on New Year’s Day.
“Choosing to travel by bus is a great way to travel sustainably and we hope this offer will attract even more people to give the bus a go during 2025. It’s worth remembering that one double decker bus can take up to 75 cars off the road – that means faster, cleaner, and more reliable journeys for everyone.”
Sunday timetables
In general the region’s bus operators will be running a Sunday timetable service on New Year’s Day from 7am – although some services may end earlier in the evening. Check the TfWM website for routes and times before travelling.
The free bus offer is part of a £20million incentive programme, funded by Government through the Bus Service Improvement Plan, to encourage more people to use the bus. Other schemes include a try-before-you-buy scheme offering free travel passes to businesses to encourage their staff to swap from car to bus for their daily commute.
The Mayor’s pre-Christmas offer of a free evening bus service saw passenger numbers increase by a third across the region. Now, working with all of the region’s bus operators, the Mayor has today announced that there will be a completely free bus service all day throughout New Year’s Day.
