Bristol, Bath and the West

HELP KICK YOUR CAR ADDICTION WITH FREE BUS TRAVEL

Help is at hand this half term for those thinking about quitting their car addiction. Bus operator First is launching a national campaign inviting car users to try and kick their habit with the help of the First Car Quit Kit, which includes a days free travel on all local First bus services.

"If you live and work near one of our bus routes, we could take the strain out of your journey and minimise the effect on the environment. With our Car Quit Kit we are inviting you to try the bus free of charge and see if we can make a difference to your commute ', said Tony Anthistle, Managing Director of First in Bristol, Somerset and Avon.

Nicola Shaw, Managing Director of First's UK Bus division, says: "Car users value the freedom their car offers but more and more they are looking for alternatives that will help them to take the responsible route to minimizing their own carbon footprints. Bus operators can provide them with that freedom too with public transport networks in our towns and cities offering a cleaner, greener way to travel and protecting the planet better for the future. Our new national initiative, the Car Quit Kit, is aimed at helping car users to understand these alternatives. It is helping them to give up something harmful to the environment, retaining flexibility in their travel choices, and gaining something good in return.'

From today (Monday 19 February) 500 Car Quit Kits are being given to car users visiting the Locking Road car park in Weston-super-Mare and Ham Green car ark in Bath. Each Car Quit Kit contains a ‘quitters patch, which may be exchanged on any First bus for a FirstDay South West ticket entitling the holder to a days free travel on all* First bus services in the South West. Each Car Quit Kits also contains:

· A Car Quitters Guide
· Top 10 Tips for Quitting The Car
· A letter from First MD Tony Anthistle

"The daily commute can really grind you down: sitting in queues of traffic, immersed in exhaust fumes (polluting the atmosphere), fighting for the last car parking space, running late for a meeting. Weve all been there but there are alternatives and the Car Quit Kit can help you make that change one day at a time', said Tony Anthistle, Managing Director for First in Bristol, Somerset and Avon.

Cllr Sir Elgar Jenkins, Bath & North East Somerset Council's Executive Member for Transport and Highways, said: "The Car Quit Kit is an excellent way to find out just how easy it is to take a bus nowadays. Bath & North East Somerset Council has worked closely with First to ensure that all major routes are catered for, providing quick and easy transport throughout the area.

"I urge local residents to take advantage of this unique opportunity, and pick up a Car Quit Kit quick!"
"Car users value the freedom their car offers but more and more they are looking for alternatives that will help them to take the responsible route to minimizing their own carbon footprints. Bus operators can provide them with that freedom too with public transport networks in our towns and cities offering a cleaner, greener way to travel and protecting the planet better for the future. Our new national initiative, the Car Quit Kit, is aimed at helping car users to understand these alternatives. It is helping them to give up something harmful to the environment, retaining flexibility in their travel choices, and gaining something good in return.'

Cllr John Crockford-Hawley, North Somerset Council's executive member for strategic planning and transport, said: "London commuters from across the social strata see the bus as a normal means of getting about. This will increasingly come to pass throughout the whole country as relative road space diminishes with the ever-growing number of cars and with gradually greater emphasis being placed on bus priority measures. As bus patronage continues to grow I look forward to improvements in the quality of service, which I know to be the common objective of both First Bus and North Somerset Council."
ENDS
* Excludes Night Flyer and Airport Flyer Services