Bus firm to give away thousands of free rides

Stagecoach managing director Joel Mitchell hopes the offer of free tickets will build trust with users

A bus operator is offering 5,000 free rides on its network in Kent and East Sussex to encourage the public to use its services.

Stagecoach managing director, Joel Mitchell, said the initiative, which is running throughout April, aimed to "build back trust" with users after a "tough time".

Passengers can claim one of the free first-come, first-serve tickets though the Stagecoach app.

"This initiative is our opportunity to say thank you for bearing with us and to give something back to the community," a company spokesperson said.

Stagecoach said the number of passengers on bus services in Britain remained lower than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

But it added that its punctuality was at a two-year high, cancelled bus journeys was as its lowest level in 18 months and passenger satisfaction ratings were at 80% or more for cleanliness, friendliness and reliability.

"Our local teams have worked incredibly hard and we're now performing better across a range of measures," the company spokesperson added.