How cool is this! People can now travel for free on buses across Leicestershire on Saturdays – hurrah!

Leicestershire County Council’s Free Fares scheme had no age restriction and would run on participating routes every Saturday until November 30.

The scheme has been set up to encourage people to choose bus travel.

The operators running the scheme include Arriva, Centrebus, CT4N, First, FoxConnect, Kinchbus, Stagecoach, and Central Connect, and details on the services involved are on the Choose How You Move, external website.

Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, county council cabinet member for transport, said it was “welcome support for people trying to save money ahead of the holiday season”.

To qualify for free travel, passengers will need to start or end their journey in Leicestershire, and tell the driver where they will be getting off.

The scheme is a collaboration between the council and commercial bus operators, and has been financed by Department of Transport Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) grant funding.

O’Shea added: “It also means that Leicestershire residents have an alternative and cheaper way to stay connected as we head into the winter months.

“Choosing the bus is a great way to travel sustainably, and now people have the chance to hop on board for free.”