Half-price bus travel for city job seekers returns
A SCHEME offering cut-price travel to job seekers in Leicester has been relaunched.
The Travel Aid programme is open to city residents and means a 50 per cent discount on fares on all trips around the city and Leicestershire.
People can apply through the Leicester City Council website. The special passes are renewable every two months.
Travel Aid was running successfully in the city before the pandemic, when bus trips were restricted by lockdown law.
It has been relaunched now that work and life have returned to relative normality for most.
Staff at the city’s three JobCentre Plus sites are giving information to job seekers about the scheme.
Leicester deputy mayor for transport and the environment, Councillor Adam Clarke, said: “With working life returning to normal following the pandemic lockdowns, we are relaunching this scheme to ensure unemployed job seekers can get help to travel on the city’s public transport.
“We’ve already issued more than 60 passes to people looking for work, meaning travel costs are not a barrier to people who need to commute to interviews, training or other placements as part of their search for employment.
“This is just one of the many ways we try to support people out of work and on benefits in Leicester – something which is more important than ever in the current economic circumstances.”
Travel Aid is one of several city council transport schemes to support low income and disadvantaged groups, with other schemes including the Wheels 2 Work programme, where people can hire electric bikes with an option to buy them.
The Santander E-bike Share scheme, which was launched in June last year, also includes a range of initiatives giving discounted cycle hire for job seekers, low paid workers and others.
Cut-price bus travel is also available for thousands of people across the city.
NHS workers can travel free on the electric buses operating from the city’s three park and ride sites at Enderby, Birstall and Meynell’s Gorse, while concessionary bus passes can be used at peak times on other services.
Under 16s who qualify for free school bus travel can also travel free on any bus.
For more details on the schemes mentioned, or to apply for Travel Aid visit the Leicester City Council website:
SUCCESSFUL SCHEME WAS SUSPENDED DURING PANDEMIC