#freebus — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Kit Peters @[email protected] · 2026-07-15 · 16:30 UTC

SWANSEA: Free buses return for the summer holidays — running until 11pm for the Airshow’s first night show

Buses across Swansea will be free to ride every weekend of the school summer holidays — starting on Wales Airshow weekend, when the offer runs late into the night for the first time.

Swansea Council‘s free bus scheme returns on July 25, covering all service buses on journeys that start and finish within the council area, across 13 days of the holidays.

Free travel normally ends at 7pm — but on Saturday July 25 it will run until 11pm, so Wales Airshow crowds can stay for the event’s new Afterburn evening programme.

The full list of free travel dates: July 25 and 26; August 1 and 2; August 8 and 9; August 15 and 16; August 22 and 23; and the bank holiday weekend of August 29, 30 and 31.

“A family of four can save around £20”

Council leader Rob Stewart said the aim was to let as many families as possible enjoy the Airshow without worrying about parking, traffic or the cost of getting home.

“The school holidays can be an expensive time, so every saving helps,” he said. “A family of four can save around £20 on a single journey, leaving more money to spend on enjoying the day.”

Rebecca Fogarty, cabinet member for community support, said the offer applied well beyond the Airshow: “Whether you’re heading to the Airshow, the beach, the city centre or visiting family and friends, free bus travel makes it easier and more affordable to get around.”

She advised those travelling on Airshow days to plan ahead and check schedules with bus operators — the council says homeward services on the Saturday evening in particular will be in demand.

Six summers of free rides

The scheme is now in its sixth year, and the council says passengers have made well over a million journeys since it launched in 2021.

This year’s 13 days is slightly down on the 15 days offered last summer — though the scheme has grown in another direction, spreading well beyond the summer holidays.

Free buses ran in the run-up to Christmas — after a suspension of planned strike action by First Cymru drivers nearly derailed the parade-weekend offer. The offer returned again over Easter.

The council also launched the free Shopper Hopper shuttle in December, linking the city’s transport hubs with Swansea Market and the Y Storfa library.

Swansea’s scheme is council-funded and open to everyone — a point of contrast this summer, after the UK Government’s holiday support package included a free bus travel scheme for children that applies only in England.

The council says the offer is designed to cut travel costs for families while encouraging people to spend time — and money — in the city, supporting local businesses and attractions. It sits alongside the near-£700,000 #Hereforyouthissummer fund paying for holiday food and free activities across more than 300 community groups.

The Airshow’s first night flight

The extended Saturday hours are built around a first for the Wales Airshow: evening displays, under the Afterburn banner, with pyrotechnic aircraft performances, a drone display and fireworks over the bay.

The free two-day show on July 25 and 26 has already announced a WWII Fairey Swordfish and a rare Cold War Westland Wasp helicopter among this year’s displays — nearly 40 years of Royal Navy flying history between them.

With big crowds expected along the seafront, the council’s advice is blunt: homeward services on the Saturday evening will be busy, so plan the return leg before setting out.

Full details of the free travel offer are on Swansea Council’s website.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANSEA: WWII Swordfish and rare Cold War Navy helicopter to star at Wales Airshow
Two pieces of Royal Navy flying history confirmed for this year’s show.

SWANSEA: Nearly £700,000 for holiday food, activities and older residents
The council’s #Hereforyouthissummer fund reaching more than 300 community groups.

Free bus rides return for Easter as Swansea families urged to “leave the car at home”
The scheme’s Easter outing earlier this year.

New free ‘Shopper Hopper’ shuttle bus launches in Swansea city centre
The year-round free shuttle linking the market, library and transport hubs.

#CllrRobStewart #freeBus #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #WalesAirshow

#cllrrobstewart #freebus #swansea #swanseacouncil #walesairshow

Kit Peters @[email protected] · 2026-05-21 · 14:05 UTC

VAT CUT: Theme parks, soft play and children’s meals to get cheaper this summer — but Wales misses out on England’s free bus scheme

The UK Government has announced that VAT on a wide range of family attractions and children’s meals in restaurants will be cut from 20% to 5% for the duration of the school summer holidays — a measure that applies across Wales as well as the rest of the UK.

The temporary reduction runs from 25 June to 1 September 2026 and covers admission tickets for theme parks, soft play centres, zoos, circuses, adventure parks, nature reserves, wildlife parks and amusement parks — as well as children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts and exhibitions.

Children’s meals served from a dedicated children’s menu in restaurants and cafés, for consumption on the premises, will also qualify for the reduced rate.

The scheme, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced to the House of Commons on Thursday, is expected to cost around £300 million and will be funded through reforms to the foreign branches exemption — a tax rule that previously allowed multinational companies to offset overseas losses against their UK tax bill.

In south-west Wales, commercial attractions including Plantasia in Swansea, the LC Swansea waterpark, Vue and ODEON cinemas in Swansea, Carmarthen and Llanelli, Margam Activity Centre’s paid activities and venues including the Grand Theatre Swansea, Gwyn Hall in Neath, Pontardawe Arts Centre and the Princess Royal Theatre in Port Talbot are among those expected to benefit — provided businesses pass the VAT saving on to customers, which the government expects but cannot compel.

There is an important caveat: attractions that do not currently charge VAT on entry — including not-for-profit museums, theatres operating under the cultural exemption, and free-entry venues — are outside the scope of the policy and will not see admission price reductions as a result of the announcement.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said Welsh families would benefit from cheaper tickets for attractions and meals out, alongside the extension of the 5p cut to fuel duty announced on Wednesday.

Alongside the VAT cut, the UK Government announced free bus travel for children aged five to 15 throughout August — but that scheme is limited to England only, as bus services are a devolved matter.

Wales is not without its own equivalent support, however. Swansea Council will also benefit from the council’s own free bus travel scheme, which has already seen more than a million free journeys taken across previous schemes. The council has set aside £450,000 this year to fund free travel across the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays — with the summer dates yet to be confirmed but the commitment already budgeted.

Welsh families also continue to benefit from the Welsh Government’s £1 single fare scheme for young people aged five to 21 on participating bus services across Wales, which pre-dates the UK Government’s summer announcement.

The VAT cut does not apply to season tickets or passes that permit entry beyond the 25 June to 1 September window, unless they are priced the same as a standard single-entry ticket.

Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said the measures would produce some savings but estimated they would amount to an average of around £10 per UK household across the summer period.

The hospitality industry broadly welcomed the announcement, with UK Hospitality chair Kate Nicholls calling it a positive step — while suggesting it should be viewed as a starting point for a wider shift to a permanently lower VAT rate for the hospitality sector to bring the UK in line with European competitors.

The VAT cut announcement came as part of a broader package of cost of living measures, including targeted cuts to import tariffs on more than 100 food products including biscuits, chocolate, dried fruit and nuts — though the government has acknowledged there is no guarantee supermarkets will pass those savings on to shoppers.

Businesses that fall within the scope of the policy can find guidance on how to operate the scheme on the HMRC website, with the full list of eligible products and activities set out in the government’s published fact sheet.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Free bus rides return for Easter as Swansea families urged to leave the car at home
Swansea Council’s free bus scheme returned over Easter with eight days of no-cost journeys across the city.

£1 bus fares for young people confirmed across Wales — but questions remain over operator sign-up
The Welsh Government’s £1 single fare scheme for under-21s launched on participating routes across Wales.

#costOfLiving #freeBus #JoStevensMP #RachelReevesMP #SwanseaCouncil #VAT #VATChanges #VATCut

#costofliving #freebus #jostevensmp #rachelreevesmp #swanseacouncil #vat

Kit Peters @[email protected] · 2026-03-12 · 09:15 UTC

SWANSEA: Free buses return for Easter holidays to help families save cash

The free travel initiative starts on Saturday, March 28, and will be available to everyone using buses within the city on selected dates.

The council says the offer is designed to help families make the most of what the city has to offer, from trips to the city centre to days out in Mumbles and Gower.

Swansea Council Leader, Rob Stewart, said the scheme aims to help residents at what can be an expensive time of year.

“Easter can be an expensive time for everyone but we’re committed to ensuring families in Swansea can save a bit of money on travel costs,” Cllr Stewart said.

He added that families could save up to £20 a time, and urged people to “leave the car at home and save their petrol money to spend on other things.”

Two red Swansea‑branded First Cymru buses at Swansea Bus Station — a double‑decker pulling out while a single‑decker waits in the bay.
(Image: First Cymru)

Since the free bus scheme was first launched, the council says residents and visitors have enjoyed more than one million free journeys.

The council has also confirmed it has set aside £450,000 in this year’s budget to ensure the free bus offer can continue for the summer and Christmas school holidays as well.

Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said a key aim was to encourage more people to use public transport.

“We know lots of people travel by car and may not have been on a bus previously,” Cllr Stevens explained.

“This free bus offer is a great way of introducing more people to public transport and reduce the number of cars on our roads.”

He added that it was important to support public transport operators in Swansea and increase passenger numbers.

The free bus travel will be available on the following eight days:

Saturday 28th March 2026
Sunday 29th March 2026
Friday 3rd April 2026 (Good Friday)
Saturday 4th April 2026 (Easter Saturday)
Sunday 5th April 2026 (Easter Sunday)
Monday 6th April 2026 (Easter Monday)
Saturday 11th April 2026
Sunday 12th April 2026

#Bus #CllrRobStewart #costOfLiving #Easter #featured #freeBus #freeBusTravelSwansea #freeBuses #publicTransport #RobStewart #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

#bus #cllrrobstewart #costofliving #easter #featured #freebus

VTC News Bot @[email protected] · 2025-08-29 · 07:06 UTC

Miễn phí vé xe buýt và metro tại Hà Nội và TP.HCM từ 30/8 đến hết 2/9/2025 nhân dịp kỷ niệm 80 năm Quốc khánh! 🥳

#mientaipxe #metro #giaothong #nghile #quockhanh
#FreeBus #FreeMetro #PublicTransport #Holiday #VietnamNationalDay

https://vtcnews.vn/gia-ve-xe-buyt-metro-dip-2-9-the-nao-ar962400.html

#vietnamnationalday #holiday #publictransport #freemetro #freebus #quockhanh

Friends of Pollok Country Park @[email protected] · 2025-05-21 · 15:46 UTC

We are happy to let you know that the (free!) electric bus has been repaired and is now again transporting people from Pollokshaws West train station and around the park!

#pollokpark #freebus

#freebus #pollokpark

Friends of Pollok Country Park @[email protected] · 2025-05-21 · 15:46 UTC

We are happy to let you know that the (free!) electric bus has been repaired and is now again transporting people from Pollokshaws West train station and around the park!

#pollokpark #freebus

#freebus #pollokpark

Malaysia Public Transport @[email protected] · 2024-03-22 · 11:04 UTC

The MySchoolBus@Wilayah programme has been redesigned

The programme under Ministry of Federal Territories is to offer #freebus services to #schoolchildren for families residing in low-cost housing in #KualaLumpur

This is in response to findings that underscore the critical impact of economic hardship on educational access

It will enable more than 10,000 #children to travel to #school at no cost

#free #bus #buses #beese #FederalTerritories #FederalTerritory

#freebus #schoolchildren #kualalumpur #children #school #free

Malaysia Public Transport @[email protected] · 2024-03-22 · 11:04 UTC

The MySchoolBus@Wilayah programme has been redesigned

The programme under Ministry of Federal Territories is to offer #freebus services to #schoolchildren for families residing in low-cost housing in #KualaLumpur

This is in response to findings that underscore the critical impact of economic hardship on educational access

It will enable more than 10,000 #children to travel to #school at no cost

#free #bus #buses #beese #FederalTerritories #FederalTerritory

#freebus #schoolchildren #kualalumpur #children #school #free

Malaysia Public Transport @[email protected] · 2024-03-22 · 01:34 UTC

The #Sarawak government has green-lighted #freebus services in #Miri city

This initiative is set to benefit both residents and tourists by easing traffic congestion and promoting economic growth

It has dual purpose of reducing traffic snarls and supporting the economically disadvantaged

The introduction of new buses is planned to replace the existing 14 outdated ones within the city later this year

#bus #buses #beese #traffic #congestion #trafficcongestion

#sarawak #freebus #miri #bus #buses #beese