Stagecoach welcomes customers back on board with free ice cream

Stagecoach South East is set to welcome its customers back on board with free ice cream.

A pop-up stall will be stationed in central locations across Kent and East Sussex from Thursday (June 24) and bus colleagues will be on hand to chat to visitors about returning to buses. 

The branded cart is set to make its first appearance in Canterbury, before moving on to Ashford, Dover and Eastbourne later this week.   

The event – which will run for up to two weeks – will also be held in Hastings, Folkestone, and Broadstairs from July 1.  

The bus industry has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic as people have been urged to stay at home during three national lockdowns.   

As restrictions begin to ease and people look to restart their daily lives, Stagecoach is pleased to welcome its customers back on board its safe and clean buses.   

Enhanced safety measures have been introduced to ensure passengers can travel with confidence – including deep cleaning with hospital-grade sanitizer and keeping windows open to improve ventilation. Passengers are also being encouraged to wear face coverings (unless exempt) and use contactless payment methods when possible.   

New figures show that bus passenger numbers are up to around 70% this week, compared to pre-Covid levels in 2019.  

But despite this, the latest data from UK Department for Transport shows that car traffic has been above pre-pandemic levels and as high as 108% of the position before March 2020.   

To mark Clean Air Day (June 17), the transport operator called for a major shift in transport behaviour to address health and climate challenges facing the country as the UK prepares for a post-Covid world.  

Buses can play a huge role in reducing air pollution and congestion, with a fully loaded double-decker bus able to take 75 cars off the road.    

Further details about Stagecoach’s #GetBackToBus campaign can be found here.

For more information about enhanced safety measures on our buses, visit our Covid page.