Welcome back: free travel on Go North East buses for seven days

Go North East is pleased to announce that travel will be free on all its buses for seven days, beginning on Saturday December 2nd.

In a special promotion dubbed ‘This week’s on us’, customers will be able to hop on a bus and enjoy unlimited travel at no charge throughout the network which stretches across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and into the Tees Valley.

Go North East has made the decision to waive its bus fares in order to welcome customers back following the resolution of a strike which brought many of its buses to a halt in November.

A normal timetable across Go North East’s network will resume tomorrow across the region after a vote by drivers and engineers represented by Unite to accept a two-year pay deal.

All passengers, whether adults or children, longstanding regulars or new users, will be welcome on board free of charge.

• Those who usually pay on board the bus will still be issued with a ticket, but need not pay

• Single and return tickets are covered by the offer. Longer-term season tickets will not qualify.

Ben Maxfield, Business Director, Go North East, said: “We’re delighted to be resuming a full timetable of bus services from Saturday. We know that the last month has been difficult and disruptive for local communities. Free travel for a week is a gesture from us to welcome customers back on board.”

“The strike over the last month has hit people and businesses in the pocket. I’m sorry for the inconvenience and distress that it caused. We now want to put it behind us and get back to delivering the best possible bus service for all our customers.”

The free travel offer will run until midnight on the evening of Friday 8th December. From Saturday 9th December, normal fares will apply subject to England’s nationwide £2 bus far cap.

Notes to editors:

Go North East runs a network of bus routes across the North East region including Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham and surrounding areas.

Go North East Limited. Registered in England No. 2057284

Registered Office: 3rd Floor, Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6EE

The Go-Ahead Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of public transport, enabling more than a billion passenger journeys each year on its bus and rail services. Go-Ahead places great importance on partnership, adopting a collaborative approach with governments, local communities and strategic partners; developing and operating services that create long-term value for all.

For more information about Go-Ahead Group visit www.goahead.com.

Press and media contacts:

Ben Maxfield

Business Director, Go North East

ben.maxfield@gonortheast.co.uk

Telephone: 07890 43653