Christmas comes early with free bus travel in Inverness

Stagecoach and Highland Council have teamed up to provide a week of free bus travel for Inverness passengers.

Instead of paying a fare, passengers will be able to hop on board buses on the Inverness Electric City Bus Network (services 1 to 9) and travel free of charge between Monday 20^th November and Sunday 26^th November.

Passengers who have a free U22, 60+ or disabled concessionary bus pass should use their pass as normal to travel.

The initiative is being supported through Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) funding, which is aimed at encouraging more people to reduce their car use in favour of more sustainable alternatives such as walking, cycling and public transport.

Stagecoach North Scotland Managing Director David Beaton said, “Costs really start to mount up at this time of year. By providing a week of free travel in partnership with Highland Council, we hope to make it a bit easier for people to start their Christmas Shopping in Inverness City Centre, whilst also supporting local retailers by boosting footfall.”

Chair of The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “I am delighted that we are partnering with Stagecoach to provide this free bus travel initiative across Inverness.  It has been great to see the roll out of these new buses putting Inverness on the map as the first City in Scotland towards having a fully electric bus network.  This project will help residents and visitors experience journeys on these buses with the aim of bringing more people in to the city centre by a sustainable travel mode”

The Inverness Electric City Bus Network was launched earlier this year, when the Stagecoach brought 25 brand-new zero-emission Yutong E10 buses to the city.

The vehicles can operate from morning to evening on a single daily charge, and feature USB charging points at each seat, interior LED lights and contactless payment facilities. With no engine noise or vibration, passengers can enjoy a relaxing experience, whilst doing their bit to reduce emissions and congestion in the city.

The £10.8m investment was supported by the Scottish Government’s Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). Charging infrastructure was successfully installed at the Inverness depot ahead of the launch. Stagecoach use 100% renewable electricity across the business.