Free Travel for Plymouth September Weekends

After helping families save money with free bus travel for children throughout August, Plymouth is taking things one step further this September, with FREE bus travel for everyone on weekends throughout the month. As part of a major initiative from the Plymouth Enhanced Bus Partnership, residents and visitors will be able to hop on board and travel free on participating local bus services on every Saturday and Sunday in September. 

The free travel offer applies to all journeys starting within Plymouth on: 

• Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 

• Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 

• Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 

• Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 

Whether you're planning a family day out, heading into the city centre, going to work, meeting friends, exploring a new part of Plymouth or simply curious about what bus travel is like these days, September is the perfect opportunity to jump on board. For people who've never used the bus before, the message is simple: Give the bus a go at no cost! No reason not to try. And for those who haven't travelled by bus in a while: Rediscover the bus and see what's changed. 

The initiative is being funded through Government bus improvement funding and delivered in partnership with Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Citybus, Stagecoach South West and Tally Ho.

Councillor John Stephens, Plymouth City Council's Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: "August has been all about helping families get out and about with free travel for children, and now we're inviting everyone to experience what Plymouth's bus network has to offer. 

"This is a fantastic opportunity to leave the car at home, save money and explore everything our city has to offer without spending a penny on travel. 

"Whether you're a regular bus user, someone who hasn't caught a bus in years, or somebody who's never tried it before, we'd encourage you to take advantage of the free weekends and give the bus a go. 

"We're working hard with our bus operators to make public transport an easy, affordable and attractive choice and we hope these free travel weekends will encourage even more people to discover just how convenient travelling by bus can be." 

 

The initiative also coincides with Catch the Bus Month, a national celebration of bus travel, and local partners will be heading into the city centre on Saturday 12 September to meet residents, answer questions and hear people's views on bus services in Plymouth. 

Anyone who is thinking about using the bus more often, has not travelled by bus for some time, or simply wants to find out more, is encouraged to come along to the Armada Way Piazza from 10am - 4pm and chat to the team. 

Peter Knight, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, added: “September’s free travel weekends are a fantastic opportunity for people across Plymouth to get on board and experience the bus for themselves, whether they’re regular customers or haven’t travelled by bus for some time. 

“By removing the cost of travel at weekends, we’re making it easier than ever for families, students, commuters and visitors to explore Plymouth, enjoy everything the city has to offer and perhaps discover a new way to get around. We’re proud to be working alongside Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Citybus and Tally Ho to deliver this initiative, and we hope as many people as possible will take advantage of the offer and give the bus a go.” 

So whether you're a fresher discovering your new city, a family looking for a low-cost day out, a shopper wanting to avoid parking charges or someone trying to cut their carbon footprint, there's never been a better time to get on board. 

For more information about participating services and the free travel offer, go to:  www.plymouth.gov.uk/ride-free-plymouth (web page will be live from 1 September)

Free travel is available on participating Plymouth Citybus, Stagecoach South West and Tally Ho services where journeys start within the Plymouth city boundary. Exclusions apply, including Plymouth Citybus Argyle football specials and the Stagecoach Falcon coach service 

Is this a good idea?

I must admit I am in two minds on this. For many people this will be great, but will it really get more people using the buses regularly in the future that are not already regular users? If this is well publicised then the buses could end up being very full. So new passengers will find their buses may be free but are rammed full and very uncomfortable so wont bother again. Even worse, for those passengers' who do use and rely on the buses on Saturday / Sunday to get to work, will they now find their bus is full up and they cant get to work? buses are often less frequent on weekends so if your bus goes past because its full up you will have a fair old wait, and no guarantee that wont also be full?  What do people think? Am I being too pessimistic?