- Stagecoach to boost Sunday bus services during forthcoming Festival of Thrift celebration
- Making sustainable transport more accessible ties in with the spirit and ethos of the event
Stagecoach North East are boosting sustainable access to the Festival of Thrift celebration in Billingham this weekend, making it even easier to leave the car at home.
The operator will double the frequencies of the 34, 36 (between Billingham and Stockton only) and 52 bus services between 10am and 5.30pm on Sunday 21 September; boosting zero-emission access to the celebration of culture, sustainability and style.
The fully electric vehicles (EV) will provide an appropriate transport option for the thousands of visitors attending the event, which aims to encourage change in affordable, realistic ways.
To bring it line with the normal Saturday service, the upgraded Sunday (21 September only) service will see:
- Service 34 increase to half hourly on the full route between 10am and 5pm
- Service 36 increase to every 15 minutes between Billingham and Stockton between 10.15am and 5pm, also boosting connections to Middlesbrough via the 37 and 38 services
- Service 52 increase to every 15 minutes on the full route between 10am and 5.30pm
“The festival is about celebration and joy but also thoughtful consumption and promoting behaviours that benefit the planet rather than harm it.
“So, we’re delighted to be supporting it by helping to make it even easier for people to get to and from there in a clean, comfortable and cost-effective way.
“Our EVs not only offer comfort through air conditioning, e-leather seats and charging ports, they also offer better accessibility for physically, audio and visually impaired customers and save over 270,000 lbs of carbon emissions per year per vehicle.”
Steve Walker, Managing Director at Stagecoach North East
“We’re delighted that Stagecoach are extending their service so more people can use public transport to travel to Festival of Thrift, helping us reduce our carbon footprint. The bus stops are right next to the Festival sites in Billingham Town Centre and John Whitehead Park!
“From Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st we have a packed weekend of FREE events with over 80 outdoor performances and installations, dozens of hands-on workshops, and over 90 ethically sourced stalls from independent traders and makers.
“Through the work of artists, performers and hands-on-workshops we can all enjoy and explore imaginative ways to live well and more sustainably. See you in Billingham next week!”
Rebecca Shatwell, Executive Director of the Festival of Thrift
In May, Stagecoach announced plans to make Stockton-on-Tees the company’s first full electric fleet and depot. The new electric site will also give regional businesses access to the charging infrastructure during off-service hours.
The move is part of Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Enhanced Partnership in place with Teesside local bus operators, with funding successfully secured funding through the Governments Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme.
The post Boosted Sunday Buses Make Sustainable Travel Easier for Festival of Thrift appeared first on Newcastle Magazine – Your source for inspiring Newcastle news.
