A moving act of remembrance - The Harrogate Bus Company's own poppy tribute to the fallen

As the nation prepares to remember those who bravely defended our freedom, Harrogate’s leading bus operator The Harrogate Bus Company is to make its own moving tribute to the fallen.

The company’s buses serving communities across the region are being adorned with large commemorative poppies to encourage its thousands of customers travelling each day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The poppies will be prominently displayed on the front of buses on routes covering hundreds of miles every day across the Harrogate district and into West Yorkshire, along with others run by parent firm Transdev across the North, from Preston and Manchester in the west to the Yorkshire Coast in the east.

The Harrogate Bus Company will also provide free travel on Remembrance Sunday (November 14) to all current service personnel with forces ID, and to veterans in uniform or with their medals.

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CEO of parent firm Transdev, Alex Hornby said: “With the impact of the pandemic still being felt by many veterans and their families, it’s more important than ever that we continue our support for the excellent work done by the Royal British Legion.

“We hope that by prominently showing our support for the Poppy Appeal on our buses, many of our customers will join us in contributing to this excellent cause.

“We want to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom, and to support those living with the impact of conflict today.

"All of our teams at our depots across the North are fully behind this.”

The bus firm now hopes that as a highly visible symbol of remembrance, its bus poppies will help to encourage its customers to buy and wear their own poppies with pride.

Buses run by each of Transdev’s ten local bus operators across the North, including The Harrogate Bus Company, will now display poppies ahead of Remembrance Sunday, when the region and the nation will pause to remember the fallen.

On Remembrance Day this Thursday (November 11) and on Remembrance Sunday, and where it is safe to do so, Transdev’s buses will also pause at 11am to observe two minutes’ silence in memory of those who gave their lives in defending our nation.

Full details of all bus services provided by The Harrogate Bus Company are available online at: transdevbus.co.uk/harrogate and on the free Transdev Go mobile app.

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