Free bus travel on Saturdays for some county routes

Arriva is one of the bus operators offering free travel on Saturdays throughout the rest of October and November

People will be able to travel for free on buses across Leicestershire on Saturdays from this weekend for six weeks.

Leicestershire County Council said the Free Fares scheme had no age restriction and would run on participating routes from Saturday until 30 November, with the aim of encouraging people to choose bus travel.

The operators running the scheme include Arriva, Centrebus, CT4N, First, FoxConnect, Kinchbus, Stagecoach, and Central Connect, and details on the services involved are on the Choose How You Move website.

Councillor Ozzy O'Shea, county council cabinet member for transport, said it was "welcome support for people trying to save money ahead of the holiday season".

'Greener Leicestershire'

To qualify for free travel, passengers will need to start or end their journey in Leicestershire, and tell the driver where they will be getting off.

The scheme is a collaboration between the council and commercial bus operators, and has been financed by Department of Transport Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) grant funding.

O'Shea added: "It also means that Leicestershire residents have an alternative and cheaper way to stay connected as we head into the winter months.

"Choosing the bus is a great way to travel sustainably, and now people have the chance to hop on board for free.

"It will help encourage more people to think about choosing the bus more often – leading to a cleaner and greener Leicestershire."