Families planning a night out in Bath this January can benefit from free Park & Ride travel, thanks to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
From Monday 19 to Saturday 24 January, all return journeys from Lansdown, Newbridge and Odd Down Park & Ride sites will be free after 5pm.
With buses running until 11.30pm, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy dinner, cinema, theatre or shopping without worrying about parking in the city centre.
Easy family travel for Bath evenings out
There’s no need to book or sign up. Families simply park at any of the three Park & Ride sites and hop on board for free.
The 21, 31 and 41 routes will run every 15 minutes until their last departures at 11.30pm, offering more flexibility for later evenings.
The free travel follows a £250,000 investment by the Mayoral Combined Authority to extend evening services, which used to finish at 8.30pm.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said, “We want to give people heading into Bath the opportunity to see for themselves just how easy it is to use our Park & Ride services. There’s no need to sign up or register, simply park up at Lansdown, Newbridge, or Odd Down and then hop on the bus for free from there.”
She added, “Kids went free all summer and again over the Christmas holidays on all our buses, and now everyone can on the 21, 31, and 41 services to Bath! With more than 100 new green buses across the West, and more on the way, together we’re beginning to build a bus network that works for local people.”
Success of family-friendly bus initiatives
It’s the latest in a series of bus offers aimed at boosting public transport use across Bath and the wider region.
A similar week of free travel on Bristol’s 36 route led to a 15% rise in passengers, and Kids Go Free during the summer delivered a 32% increase in children travelling by bus.
That rise in child travel also benefitted local businesses, with Bath seeing a 15.8% spending uplift in July and above-average performance in August.
Kids Go Free returned for the Christmas break, with results due to be shared soon.
Routes and where to catch your free bus
Families can travel free on the following Park & Ride routes between 5pm and 11.30pm:
• 21 – Newbridge
• 31 – Lansdown
• 41 – Odd Down
Full details and timetables can be found at www.travelwest.info/freep&r
With free buses, later running times and more frequent services, this latest offer gives Bath parents and children a great chance to enjoy an affordable and stress-free evening in the city — from bowling and burgers to theatre trips and ice cream after the cinema.
