Stagecoach launches UK's first long-term nationwide bus travel scheme for jobseekers
Stagecoach, one of the UK’s biggest bus operators, has just launched the country’s first long-term nationwide discounted bus travel scheme for jobseekers.
The new initiative will give thousands of job seekers across the UK a 50% discount on their bus travel to help them find employment.
Holders of a Jobcentreplus Travel Discount Card will qualify for half-price single and return tickets on Stagecoach’s 6,500 buses in the UK outside London.
Stagecoach is already part of a Transport for London scheme which offers reduced bus, tram and train travel rates for jobseekers in the capital.
Young people in areas as far apart as Orkney in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to Porth in Wales and Dover in South East England will benefit from the new Stagecoach initiative.
The scheme is being funded entirely on a commercial basis by Stagecoach without any public sector support. It will initially run for six months with a view to testing the potential for a permanent discount.
Bus travel is the most popular mode of transport used by Britain’s commuters, with 5.2 billion bus journeys in the UK each year. More than 800,000 people who are out of work and claiming benefits currently qualify for a Jobcentreplus Travel Discount Card.
Sir Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: “Youth unemployment is one of the biggest issues facing our country today and we know the bus is Britain's most important mode of public transport.
“Stagecoach already offers the lowest bus fares of any major operator in the country, making public transport affordable for those on low incomes. We hope this new initiative can help kick-start careers for those who are struggling to get that first job or training place.”
Transport Minister Norman Baker said: “Buses are important for those people who are looking for work and attending interviews, they are also crucial to people travelling to and from work after they have been offered a job.
“Following a month long commercial trial of BusforJobs which gave free travel to jobseekers in January, I warmly welcome the fact that Stagecoach has decided to continue with a 50% discount to jobseekers. I would encourage other operators who took part in the scheme to consider offering similar discounts to help those looking for work to find work.”
JobCentre Plus Travel Discount Cards are available through JobCentre Plus. Those eligible include people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support and actively engaged with a Jobcentre Plus adviser in returning to employment.
The latest travel boost for jobseekers follows the 'Bus for Jobs' initiative organised by the Greener Journeys sustainable travel campaign. Jobseekers were able to access around 70% of the country’s bus routes for free during January under a scheme supported by Stagecoach as well as other major bus companies and smaller independent operators.
Around 25% of households do not have access to a car and are completely reliant on the bus for many of their essential journeys. Buses are a major contributor to regional economies, helping connect people to jobs, leisure and the High Street as well as to education and training.
Research last year by the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) at the University of Leeds found buses contribute £64 billion to the British economy every year. The study revealed 1 in 10 bus commuters would be forced to look for another job if they could no longer commute by bus. An estimated 400,000 people are in work or in a better job because of the availability of a bus service, according to the report
Click here for full details of the Stagecoach jobseekers discounted travel initiative.
