First Bus to match fund and donate all profits from Hampden Express service to DEC in support of Ukrainian crisis
Passengers travelling to Hampden with First Bus ahead of Scotland v Poland game will be supporting the DEC’s efforts
First Bus, Scotland’s largest bus operator, will be donating all profits from its X31 Hampden Express service running ahead of the Scotland v Poland game at Hampden on Thursday 21 March, to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
As the war in Ukraine continues to heavily impact the lives of thousands of civilians, First Bus will be supporting the DEC in its efforts to bring humanitarian aid to where it is needed most.
The bus operator is encouraging people attending the game on Thursday, which was originally scheduled as a match against Ukraine, to play their part in helping to raise vital funds, by choosing to travel on the Hampden Express to and from the venue. The amount raised will be matched pound for pound by First Bus before being donated to the DEC.
Duncan Cameron, managing director of First Bus Scotland, said: “The DEC is working round the clock to help and support people in Ukraine, whose lives have been turned upside down by the Russian invasion.
“First Bus will match fund all profits raised from operating the X31 service on Thursday. We would like to encourage people attending the friendly against Poland to choose to travel with us and help to raise as much as we can to support those dealing with extreme challenges and hardship in Ukraine.”
The X31 service will run roughly every 10 minutes from 18:15 on Thursday and will start its journey on Union Street, outside O’Neill’s Bar. It will stop at Ingram Street, Glassford Street and Stockwell Street before its final designated drop off point at Hampden on Cathcart Road at Letherby Drive, behind the West Stand.
From the final whistle, passengers will be able to travel safely and easily back to the City Centre by catching the X31 at the same location on Cathcart Road, leaving behind the West Stand next to Tesco Express. The service will drop off at Stockwell Street, Glassford Street and George Square.
Tickets cost £3.00 for an adult single or £5.00 for a return. Child singles cost £1.50 and £2.50 for a return. Please note, no other tickets/cards are valid on this special service. Cash (exact fare) and contactless payment options are accepted on board.
More information can be found at www.firstglasgow.com/hampdenexpress
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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 have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. 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.
We are working to increase the number of females applying for bus driver roles within the business as we do believe businesses are more likely to have continued success if our bus companies reflect the communities that they serve.
For more information on First Bus: news-scot.firstbus.co.uk