First Bus offers free Remembrance Day travel to veterans and military personnel across Glasgow
- First Bus is offering free travel for all veterans and UK Armed Forces personnel travelling to Remembrance Day activities on 10th and 11th November.
- To be eligible for a free return journey, veterans and military personnel can either wear their military uniform or show the bus driver their Service ID card.
- First Bus has a strong affiliation with the Armed Forces, with many veterans working for the business and a war memorial situated at its Caledonia depot.
First Bus, Glasgow’s largest bus operator, is offering free travel for all veterans and UK Armed Forces personnel travelling to Remembrance Day activities of Remembrance Sunday (Sunday 10th November) and Armistice Day (Monday 11th November).
To be eligible for a free return journey, veterans and military personnel can either wear their military uniform or show the bus driver their Service ID card.
First Bus has a strong link with the Armed Forces community, with large numbers of veterans now working for the business. This gesture is First Bus’ way of showing gratitude to all those who serve or have served their country.
First Bus has a war memorial garden at its Glasgow Caledonia depot paying tribute to former tram operators who lost their lives in the First World War. The accessible garden features four memorials including a freestanding monument dedicated to workers from the city’s Whitevale tram depot, surrounded by three plaques in memory of workers from the city’s Newlands, Dennistoun and Langside depots.
All four memorials are originally from Glasgow’s tram depots, which supported the operation of one of the largest tram networks in Britain at the time of the First World War. The first motorbuses were introduced in Glasgow in 1924 and gradually replaced trams until 1962, when the last Glasgow tram service operated.
During the First World War, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. Every year, this historic moment is commemorated with a two-minute silence on what is now known as Armistice Day.
Graeme Macfarlan, Commercial Director for First Bus Scotland, said: “Remembrance Sunday is an important and solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by so many in our Armed Forces and we wanted to do something to mark the occasion.
“We have a number of veterans working for First Bus across our Glasgow depots and we’re very proud of their efforts and sacrifice. This is our way of saying thank you to them, as well as honouring all men and women who choose to serve and protect the freedoms our country now takes for granted.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
For further information please contact Craig Dennett on 07866 818456 or email: craig.dennett@firstbus.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About First Bus
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks.
We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
First Bus is an equal opportunity employer.
First Bus is an excellent place to work with opportunities for a rewarding career.
We are committed to equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion. We believe diverse experiences and attitudes help us better understand the needs of our customers.
For more information on First Bus: news-scot.firstbus.co.uk