People living in Highland Perthshire will be able to travel by bus for free on Friday, 10th of February as part of the national #LoveMyBus campaign.
The campaign will allow people to travel for free within Perth and Kinross which will not only help to ease congestion, it will also help in the fight against climate change. The campaign has been launched following the success of a similar campaign that was run in December 2022 which allowed people to travel for free by bus on the 10th, 17th, and 24th of December.
Convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee, Andrew Parrott, said: “We offered free bus travel to support our local businesses and encourage people to leave their cars at home this December and it was great to see that so many people got on board.”
“Despite bus services being disrupted on December 17 by snowy conditions and finishing early on Christmas Eve, it is heart-warming to see over 10,000 people take up this fantastic initiative and the positive feedback received from the public.
“I’m proud that we can now offer more free bus travel on the Friday February 10, before Valentine’s Day. This will help couples and families benefit from free bus travel when the cost of living is having an impact on families.
“It also means people can leave the car at home, saving money on fuel and parking and helping cut emissions at the same time, keeping love in the air!
“Overall this campaign, supported by Smarter Choices Smarter Places funding, has been a resounding success.”
The campaign has also been released to help support couples celebrating Valentine’s Day early, save money on travel during the cost of living crisis. The campaign in December saved people who participated in the campaign over £23,000.
A spokesperson for the campaign said: “It is fantastic to see free bus travel being available to everyone across Perth and Kinross on Friday 10th February, whether by using a concessionary card or through this positive initiative by Perth and Kinross Council supported by Paths for All.
“The team met lots of families enjoying the free bus travel days across Perth and Kinross, grateful for the savings when times are hard.
“For those who have free bus travel every day with concession cards, there were great stories to share – one traveller reported saving £200 a month – definitely worth getting your card for – and from others, there were more great tales of adventures from using their free bus cards across Scotland.
“As well as creating an amazing opportunity to get to work, out and about, or travel for a night out, for free – it also shows bold leadership to reduce congestion and pollution in our area, whilst saving everyone money.
“While it is a challenging time across our communities, choosing bus is good for our health, our communities and planet, so let’s show the love for our buses, our bus drivers and enjoy a free trip in the heart of Scotland.”
The #LoveMyBus team will be meeting some of those benefitting from the campaign on the day and handing out free goodies.
To find out more about the campaign and which bus operators are participating, visit https://www.pkc.gov.uk/