‘Bring a friend for free’: Bus firm aims to boost evening economy

Bus operator East Yorkshire is offering free evening travel to friends of ticket-buyers to help boost the night-time economy.

The “Bus Out to Help Out” scheme runs this month and offers the chance for anyone buying a ticket after 7pm to take a fellow traveller free of charge.

It follows the Government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” initiative, which offered discounts in participating restaurants and bars in August. The bus operator hopes its scheme will similarly encourage people to support local restaurants and hospitality businesses.

Ben Gilligan, area director for East Yorkshire, said: “With the Eat Out to Help Out scheme ending, we wanted to do something to continue supporting all the great restaurants and pubs in our area, which have really suffered during lockdown.

“We’ve seen more people travelling during the day on our buses, but our evening journeys remain quiet. We’re hoping our discount ticket deal will encourage people to venture out in the evenings to have a meal with their partner, a trip to the cinema with the family, or even just pop to the pub to meet up with old friends.

“It’s been a difficult time for many businesses in the region, so we wanted to do what we could to help boost the local economy, and also give our passengers a chance to go out to enjoy themselves for the evening at a discounted price.”

The ticket deal runs every day during September. For more details visit the company’s website www.eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk.