SHOPPERS travelling to Huntingdon town centre this Saturday and next are set for some special deals from town centre traders – as well as a free ride home. The Hunts Post has teamed up with two local operators – Huntingdon and District and Whippet Coaches

SHOPPERS travelling to Huntingdon town centre this Saturday and next are set for some special deals from town centre traders - as well as a free ride home.

The Hunts Post has teamed up with two local operators - Huntingdon and District and Whippet Coaches - to offer passengers in the district a return journey for the price of a single ticket on the two days.

And traders, including The Card Gallery, Flower Patch, Colemans, Cartridge World, Platters and Grafton Projects will have special offers for people who produce a valid qualifying bus ticket for the day.

Shoppers will be able to travel on Saturday to the continental market taking place in Huntingdon.

The deal will be valid on all services of both operators within Huntingdonshire and the Papworth and Cambourne areas. Cambridge services are excluded.

Huntingdon and District's general manager Terry Mead promised all the company's newest vehicles would be on the road to show people attracted to public transport how much more comfortable bus travel is. "We shall be geared up for Saturday," he said.

His managing director, Dennis Upton, said: "I'm hoping people will take up the opportunity because we're very excited about it.

"If it's a success, I hope we shall be able to repeat it in future or make it a regular feature. If it generates additional journeys, it will pay for itself."

Hunts Post editor Andy Veale said: "When we made a number of test journeys earlier in the summer, our reporters and other colleagues were impressed by many aspects of the services they used, although reliable information was sometimes hard to come by.

"So we wanted to do our bit to reduce the impact on the environment by encouraging people to use the buses. Many buses are new and very comfortable. We want to give them the chance to impress you."

Information on all bus services is available on Traveline on 0871 200 22 33, but the operators believe the quality of information on their own lines is far superior to the industry-wide bureau. H&D is on 01480 453159 and Whippet 01480 463792.

The deal covers not just shopping trips but leisure journeys, too, so readers may wish to check out the two operators' websites, or telephone them, to find out about their extensive networks within

the district. H&D is on www.huntsbus.co.uk and Whippet on www.go-whippet.co.uk

The move is supported by Cambridgeshire County Council, one of only two local authorities outside London to have steadily increased the use of buses consistently in recent years.

In time for the new passengers' journeys, the council this week offered the following general advice to bus users:

* Each bus stop has a unique code, available on the bus stop sign or Traveline website. Text this code to 84268 and bus timetable information will be sent to you free.

* Make sure you give a clear signal to the driver that you want to get on as the bus approaches.

* If you don't know where to get off, ask the driver when you get on the bus to help you.

* Tickets can be bought from the bus drivers. Drivers will usually be able to provide change, but having the correct money ready when you board will save time.

* For passengers encouraged by the experience to use the bus network more widely there is a Multibus ticket that allows passengers to travel on services run by different operators in Cambridgeshire without having to pay separate fares every time they change bus. Day tickets cost £6 while a seven-day Multibus costs £25.

* Cambridgeshire's concessionary fare scheme allows those eligible to travel for free throughout the whole of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. For more information you can go to www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/

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