Two seaside cities have launched free bus travel this September to help remove boundaries to transport. Plymouth and Portsmouth will offer the free rides on Saturdays and Sundays throughout September 2026.
The schemes are open to passengers of all ages, with no registration or special ticket needed. Simply hail the bus as you normally would and let the driver know where you are getting off. You will then be waved on board without having to pay for a ticket. In Plymouth, the free bus travel is being paid for through Government bus services funding, after transport surveys found that affordability and value for money were among the key concerns for people using buses in the city.
The free travel is currently limited to September, with no plans in place to extend the scheme beyond the month.
Portsmouth is offering a similar deal, with bus travel free for all passengers every weekend in September. The offer applies to all buses that start their journey within the Portsmouth boundary. However, there is one exception: it does not include Park and Ride services.
Portsmouth City Council teamed up with local bus companies First Solent and Stagecoach, as well as Pompey Link, to provide the service.
Mr Burnham said: “Good, affordable transport links are an essential. No one should be priced out of those and left behind.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it would “open up opportunities and keep people connected to work, school, healthcare and their friends and family”.
Campaigners say it will help reduce lonliness, so there are fewer financial barriers to leave the house. The change will begin on January 1, 2027.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
