First Bus and Hampshire County Council have announced that adults will be able to travel on the operator’s evening services for a £1 single during an eight-week period.
The promotional fare, which will run from 23 October to 17 December, is designed to help grow passenger numbers on First Bus’s commercial routes by making evening bus travel more affordable.
It means all adult single journeys after 6:00pm that start in the First Bus Hampshire Zone will be £1, although trips beginning in Southampton and Portsmouth are not included in the scheme.
The initiative is being funded through the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), a government grant given for the purpose of improving bus services.
Ed Jonwood, Head of Commercial South for First Bus, said: “This is great news for customers and will be a real boost for trips to enjoy leisure, hospitality and entertainment across the region, as well as those working shifts and in the nighttime economy.
“We look forward to welcoming existing and new customers on board our services and hope that this £1 fare can be a success in encouraging more people to consider using the bus as a sustainable option in their travel habits.”
Councillor Steve Forster, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Highways and Passenger Transport, said: “Working with First Bus, we’re using this eight-week initiative to encourage more people living close to their network in the South East of Hampshire to give the bus a try and discover whether it could become a regular option for their journeys.”
