Local bus operators celebrate 'Catch the bus week' with free ticket giveaway

LIVERPOOL City Region's Better By Bus campaign has been encouraging those who haven't already, to switch up their commute, shopping trip or day out with the family by giving the bus a try during:- 'Catch The Bus Week' that ran over 2 July to 8 July 2018.

Now in its 5th year, 'Catch The Bus Week' is an initiative from the transport action group, Greener Journeys. It aims to raise awareness of the vast economic, environmental and social benefits of taking the bus, as well as encouraging the public to give bus travel a try.

With so many benefits to travelling by bus in Liverpool City Region, those who haven't travelled by bus in a while will notice a huge difference in both the quality of the buses and the on board technology now available.

Arriva and Stagecoach bus passengers are able to connect to free WiFi and charge phones or tablets on USB chargers on many buses whilst sitting back and relaxing on bigger, comfier seats. To save time on the day, tickets can now also be purchased via the Arriva and Stagecoach apps. Passengers can also take advantage of being able to use each operators' mobile app to see exactly where their bus is on the live tracker map.

The Better By Bus campaign, which was launched in 2017, is led by an alliance of Arriva, Stagecoach and Merseytravel. By telling local people about the many features and benefits of getting the bus, the campaign aims to encourage and inspire people across the region to leave the car at home and travel by bus instead.

Lisa Pearson, campaign conductor for Better By Bus, said:- "We're looking forward to spending 'Catch The Bus Week' speaking to people about why they should consider leaving the car at home and catching the bus instead. We know all about the benefits of getting the bus, but we also know that there are so many people out there who may not have been on a bus in years and will not have seen our new and improved fleet operating across the region.  Getting the bus also has a positive impact on our environment, which is why we're excited to join other committed businesses and organisations at 'Envirolive'. We're hoping to talk to as many people as we can about the benefits of bus and hopefully the incentive of a free bus ticket will encourage people to give bus a chance."

Matt Goggins, Head of Bus at Merseytravel, said:- "Campaigns like catch the bus week are really important as it's a chance for us to showcase to people who wouldn't normally consider the bus; how great it can be.  We've worked really hard with Arriva and Stagecoach over the last 2 years to make our buses cleaner, greener and more affordable and I'd encourage anyone who hasn't tried the bus recently to give it a go this week; you might be surprised."

'Catch the Bus Week' is a nationwide campaign aimed at driving awareness of the benefits of taking the bus. Throughout the week a variety of organisations will be hosting events, ticket giveaways and other activities, with bus companies, Local Authorities and passenger groups involved. To learn more about the campaign, visit their website.  To learn more about the Liverpool City Region Bus Alliance and the Better By Bus campaign visit:- BetterByBus.Org. 

Liverpool Chairs of the Youth Select Committee to question the experts on barriers to work experience

CLAUDIA Quinn (aged 17) and Mun Wu (aged 18), both from Liverpool, are the Chair and Vice Chair of this year's Youth Select Committee. This year the committee is conducting an inquiry into barriers to work experience. The inquiry comes at a time when more than ˝ a million young people are unemployed, and with a recent YouGov poll highlighting that 58% of all 11 to 18 year olds cite a lack of work experience as a barrier to future employment. Just like UK Parliament Select Committees, the Youth Select Committee will produce a report based on its findings, which will be sent to the Government for comment. On 6 July and 13 July the Committee is hearing evidence from Government Officials alongside leading figures from the world of business, education and policy inside a Committee Room, at the Houses of Parliament, which is usually used by MPs.

Claudia Quinn, 17, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said:- "Work experience is an area of growing concern to young people. But the evidence the Committee has received so far suggests far too many struggle to access it all; including those most disadvantaged in the labour market. For still more young people, good quality experience is out of reach. We're looking forward to ensuring we hear a variety of voices on this issue so we can make strong recommendations to the Government on fixing this situation."

Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons said:- "The Youth Select Committee has an extraordinary ability to tackle the biggest issues affecting young people head on. Finding good quality work experience is a real challenge for a lot of youngsters across the country, so it is promising to see the issue being investigated by this year's committee. I look forward to personally meeting the young members and following their inquiry."

Just like UK Parliament Select Committees, the Youth Select Committee will produce a report and recommendations based on its findings, which will be sent to the Government for a response.

The 2 evidence sessions will be open to the public and broadcast on Parliament TV. The session, on 13 July  2018, will also be Broadcast on BBC Parliament.

The evidence sessions will be open to the public on a 1st come, 1st served basis. Entry is via Portcullis House and it is advisable to allow 30 minutes to pass through security checks.