First Bus Mural - Free to Explore

Glasgow’s hottest new selfie spot unveiled

New street art has appeared in Glasgow to mark the start of a new campaign to get under 22s to travel around their city for free.

Located in the city’s bustling Barras market, Glasgow street artist Rogue One has adorned one of the shutters with a pair of wings to spread First Bus’s ‘Free to Explore’ message as it works to raise awareness of Transport Scotland’s scheme to offer free bus travel to young Scots under the age of 22.

Artist Rogue One in front of the First Bus mural

Over half a million young Scots (578,000) have signed up for their free travel passes so far, with an average of 658,000 journeys being made in Glasgow each month by under 22 card holders.

Thousands have been taking advantage of free bus travel so far with nearly two thirds (62%) of those eligible for the scheme having signed up for their passes.

To help to spread the message of the free travel scheme to young people in Glasgow, popular social media singer-songwriter Archie (@archiecwmusic on Instagram) is supporting First Bus’s campaign.

He said: “The freedom that my bus pass gives me is just fantastic. Life is getting more and more expensive today and so, as a young person, being able to save money on travel can have a huge impact. I really value being able to get to and from my gigs, and out to see family and friends, without having to worry about how I’ll get there, so I’m keen to do my bit to make sure that young people in our city know that free travel is an option to them.”

Duncan Cameron, Managing Director at First Bus Scotland, said: “Offering young people the freedom to explore their towns and cities, and get about independently, is incredibly important for social equality, personal growth and, of course, the environment.

"With a generation of young people more focused and aware of their environmental impact than ever before, this travel offering will go a long way in helping to cement green transport habits by shifting away from frequent individual car use and building a generation of bus users.

“We’re delighted to be working to raise awareness of this scheme and are hopeful that this sustainable travel scheme will go a long way in helping Glasgow meet its net zero targets.

“I am also proud our mural is featured as part of the Barras Market, an historically significant destination in the city and an important part of our Glasgow network.”

Ends

Notes to editors

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 no longer purchases new diesel buses and is committed to achieving a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.

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