First Bus invests in more buses on Park and Ride to support shoppers, retailers and hospitality as York gears up up for Christmas
- Additional services to run from 10 November to 24 December
- Extra buses on Services 3,7,8 and 9
First Bus is introducing extra buses on the Park and Ride network, which it operates in partnership with City of York Council, to support the York local and visitor economy in the lead up to Christmas.
The additional services will begin from Sunday 10 November and run until Tuesday 24 December
This investment in vehicles and drivers will increase frequency on key routes connecting York’s retail and leisure destinations and the city centre.
Kayleigh Ingham, Commercial Director for First Bus in North & West Yorkshire, said: “The timing of this increase in services also coincides with the beginning of the Christmas Market on 14 November, which we know is a significant festive attraction in York.
“Encouraging more people to use Park and Ride and travel on our zero-emission bus fleet will also help to reduce traffic congestion in York and create cleaner air during a busy period on the roads.”
The service increases are as follows:
- Service 3 Askham Bar: Two extra buses on Saturday and Sunday, improving frequency from 12 minutes to 9-10 minutes.
- Service 7 Designer Outlet: One extra bus from Monday to Friday and two extra buses on Saturday and Sunday, improving frequency from 13 minutes to 9-10 minutes.
- Service 8 Grimston Bar: One extra bus on Saturday and Sunday, improving frequency from 12 minutes to 10 minutes.
- Service 9 Monk’s Cross: One extra bus will be available on Saturday. While there will be no change in frequency, this additional support is essential to maintaining current service levels, as demand increases in the lead up to Christmas.
After 24 December, all services will revert to their usual schedules.
Michael Howard, Head of Highways and Transport, said; “Christmas is one of York’s busiest times, so these additional buses on the Park and Ride routes are to be welcomed. With over 5,500 free parking spaces across six sites, the Park and Ride is an affordable, easy and quick way to get the whole family in to town.”
A campaign to inform customers and visitors is underway and full details can be found by visiting the First Bus website Christmas Services | First Bus
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Notes to editors
Media enquiries to Richard Harrison, PR Manager, First Bus North & West Yorkshire 07973 668116 richard.m.harrison@firstbus.co.uk
At First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus.
We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, transporting more than a million customers a day. We serve over 20% of the population of Great Britain with our local bus services, and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
Transforming our business for the better, we’re putting our people and customers at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we’re the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, cementing our position as an employer of choice in the sector.
We’re all about making journeys easier for our customers, which is why we were the first national bus operator to roll out Tap On, Tap Off payment technology across our entire fleet of around 4,500 buses. Our First Bus app has also been voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators.
First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We already operate over 600 zero-emission buses – that’s 14% of our overall fleet.
We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their own decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company and Ensignbus. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information on our website here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/