Free bus travel to do festive shopping
Festive shoppers are set to benefit from an early Christmas present after it was announced free bus travel in the Perth area will be available to the public throughout December.
Councillor Angus Forbes, convener of the environment and infrastructure committee, announced on Wednesday that Stagecoach will provide free bus travel in the Fair City area.
It will run from 9am till noon each weekend from Sunday, December 1 to Sunday, December 22. The scheme will run on Saturdays and Sundays and covers the Perth zone dayrider and megarider area, with Scone, Inveralmond, Broxden roundabout, Moncreiffe, Friarton, Gannochy and western Kinnoull included within the free ride boundary.
The Stagecoach initiative partners infrastructure committee approved both schemes at a meeting on Wednesday, aimed at encouraging more people to spend locally and boost local businesses.
Convener Cllr Forbes said: “I am delighted to announce this initiative and I thank Stagecoach for their assistance in moving this initiative forward.
“As a group we are all comitted to changing the way we travel in and around Perth and embrace the need for change that helps our environment with regard to climate control.
“This initiative will allow people the option to leave cars at home, utilise the park and ride facilities and offer a free service to residents and public transport users, in line with our active travel goals.”
Canal Street car park, Thimblerow car park and South Inch car park are among the many facilities in Perth to offer spaces free of charge, with car parks in Crieff, Pitlochry, Blairgowrie and Dunkeld also part of the scheme.
It was also agreed that the scheme would be repeated in December 2020 when it would be available every weekend that month.
Carse of Gowrie councillor, Alasdair Bailey, also proposed an amendment to look at expanding public transport schemes to those outwith the Perth area.
The amendment read: “Following the council’s passing of a ‘climate change emergency’ motion in June 2019 and in order to support those without access to private transportation, committee asks officers to investigate proposals for 2020 and beyond which will also incentivise and reward people who use public transport to visit our towns and city to shop in the festive period.”
Convener, Cllr Forbes, agreed to the amendment and said the investigation will be discussed at the August 2020 committee meeting.