Elderly and disabled passengers will soon be able to travel for free on local Grimsby buses before 9.30am.
Eligible North East Lincolnshire concessionary pass holders will benefit from free bus local travel all day until 11pm, Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and bank holidays.
Previously, the scheme only kicked in from 9.30am on weekdays with the new offering going beyond the council’s legally-required concessionary duty. The new system begins from Monday, June 3 and will be offered on all locally-registered bus services provided by Stagecoach East Midlands in North East Lincolnshire.
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Leftover Bus Service Improvement Plan funding from the Department for Transport has enabled the early morning free travel for North East Lincolnshire concessionary pass holders. In February, Grimsby Live broke the news that there was £60,000 spare cash from BSIP funding that the council wanted to explore using to expand the free travel time to early morning.
“This is a fantastic scheme for those with concessionary bus passes,” said Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for housing, infrastructure and transport.
“Not only will it make public transport more affordable for elderly and disabled residents, but it will make the town centre a busier and more accessible location. With the Riverhead centre nearing completion and the new Community Diagnostics Centre under construction, there are numerous benefits to the scheme, helping passengers to access heath appointments, work, training or education and leisure opportunities.”
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Riverhead Square has been undergoing a £3.3m makeover. The new Community Diagnostics Centre will open later this summer in Freshney Place shopping centre.
Matt Cranwell, managing director at Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We are pleased to work with North East Lincolnshire Council through our Bus Service Improvement Plan to expand the hours of free travel for local concessionary pass holders.
“Being able to use bus passes before 0930hrs on weekdays as well as weekends will give people greater travel flexibility especially when booking GP and hospital appointments. Buses provide vital transport connections for our communities and help improve the independence, health and well-being of our older customers.”
When travelling on public transport outside of North East Lincolnshire – for example, a journey commencing in Hull – with a concessionary bus pass, as a general rule the council advises to expect the free travel time to be only from 9.30am on weekdays.
Neighbouring North Lincolnshire Council has already run an all day free travel scheme for its concessionary pass holders. It renewed the £1.8m scheme this year, and more than 23,000 of its local residents are eligible.
For more information and to apply for a North East Lincolnshire concessionary pass, visit here.
For more information on how to apply in North Lincolnshire, visit here.