Perth council bosses are urging travellers to use a no fare bus travel offer after they withdrew their usual free festive parking deal.
Many bus travellers inside the local authority’s boundaries can travel for free on Saturday December 17 and on Christmas Eve.
The offer kicked off on Saturday December 10 and comes after Perth and Kinross Council ended its long-running free Saturday car parking offer.
More than 4,300 took advantage of the deal on the 10th, saving almost £10,000 on fares.
City shoppers previously used the council’s car parks free of charge on the Saturdays running up to Christmas. The council had put variations of the deal in place for the last 10 years.
‘Fantastic initiative’
SNP environment convener Andrew Parrott said the free bus travel scheme shows “there are better, more sustainable ways of travel out there than just taking the car.”
He added: “The cost of living crisis is having a real impact on households. This will make things a bit easier for people to do their Christmas shopping and support all retailers, restaurants and other traders.”
He said the deal means “people can leave the car at home.”
“That saves money on fuel and parking and helps cut emissions at the same time. This is a fantastic initiative.”
Members of Perth City Leadership Forum’s transport and connectivity group began pushing for the change in summer last year.
They met with members of the previous Conservative-led administration to ask them to switch the parking subsidy towards free bus travel on Saturdays and Sundays instead.
Charity Paths for All funds the free bus travel through its Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme.
The council’s free car parking scheme, introduced to boost small city businesses in the run up to Christmas, is thought to have cost the local authority around £15,000 in previous years.
Douglas Robertson is managing director for Stagecoach East Scotland.
He said: “We’re absolutely delighted to take part in this scheme, which is encouraging people to travel by bus and do their Christmas shopping at the many fantastic local businesses across Perth and Kinross.”
Passengers are able to use buses operated by Stagecoach East Scotland, Docherty’s Midland Coaches, Elizabeth Yule, Earnside Coaches and Bay Travel without paying a fare on the December dates.
The free fare will only apply if the passenger gets on and off the bus within the Perth and Kinross Council boundary.
It does not include the express coach network – Scottish Citylink, Ember, Flix, Parks of Hamilton, Megabus or Fisher Tours.
