The Harrogate Bus Company offers customers free journeys on a Sunday

The ‘Sunday Freeway’ free journeys on the electric buses, run by The Harrogate Bus Company, will resume from Sunday, January 2 and continue every Sunday throughout January and February, thanks to Harrogate BID – the Business Improvement District set up in 2019 to bring local firms together to provide extra incentives to attract more people to shop local.

The latest initiative is part of the continued partnership between the town’s main bus operator and Harrogate BID run-up to Christmas in previous years, as well as the start of 2021.

Sara Ferguson, Harrogate BID chair and business owner, said: “Once again we are delighted to be teaming up with The Harrogate Bus Company for the next two months to sponsor the ‘Sunday Freeway’.

“This is the third time we have partnered with our local bus operator, and on both previous occasions it helped to increase the number of passengers heading into Harrogate town centre.

"This year, we have chosen January and February, which can be quiet months for the retail and hospitality sectors.

"Harrogate town centre is well worth a visit at any time of the year, and we hope the added incentive of free bus travel will make it even more appealing.”

Harrogate BID’s sponsorship of free Sunday journeys in the run-up to Christmas 2019 helped the Harrogate Electrics buses generate a rise of up to 90 per cent in the number of customers travelling, compared with the same period a year earlier.

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The Harrogate Bus Company CEO Alex Hornby said: “We’re delighted that Harrogate BID are able to again work in partnership with us to support our ‘Sunday Freeway’ on our Harrogate Electrics buses for the first two months of the New Year.

“As well as reducing emissions and congestion, free Sunday travel on our pioneering Harrogate Electrics buses will make it easier to support our local economy and help keep our town’s traders in business into 2022.

"Our buses are among the safest places to be, with an enhanced cleaning regime in place to keep everyone safe.

“It’s been an incredibly challenging time for Harrogate’s businesses, with previous lockdowns and now the prospect of further restrictions.

"More than ever, it’s now up to us all to support them in the vital first few months of the New Year by taking advantage of free travel on Harrogate Electrics buses.”

As part of an extensive daily cleaning process, a powerful anti-viral mist is sprayed through each Harrogate Electrics bus each night – with further deep cleaning at Harrogate bus station throughout the day to maintain the highest standards of hygiene.

Timetables for the free Sunday buses and all of The Harrogate Bus Company’s services are available online at https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/harrogate, from the travel kiosk at Harrogate Bus Station, or via the Transdev Co mobile app.

Young carers receive generous donation from Harrogate branch of the Yorkshire Building Society