On October 1, Stagecoach, Grant Palmer, Uno and Bedford Borough Council relaunched the ‘Cygnet’ pass.
This enables bus users to switch freely between the three local bus operators without the need to buy multiple tickets. The pass will operate as a paper ticket, which will be sold and accepted on Bedford Borough’s three largest bus operators Stagecoach, Grant Palmer and Uno.
This ticket will allow for unlimited travel on any Stagecoach, Grant Palmer and Uno bus in the Stagecoach Megarider zone, across a day or a week and you can mix and match bus providers.
The Cygnet travel zone equates to the area currently covered by the Stagecoach Megarider which includes the whole of Bedford and Kempston, as well as surrounding villages such as Bromham, Oakley, Cople and Elstow.
Cllr Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for Transport at Bedford Borough Council said “It is four years to the day that we originally launched the Cygnet pass, and it is great to welcome another bus operator on-board. The Cygnet pass makes local bus travel easier and more convenient, allowing people to switch between bus operators.”
Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Bedford Borough Council and bus operators Grant Palmer and Uno to relaunch our multi-operator Cygnet ticket to customers in Bedford this week. The scheme will give passengers more freedom by enabling them to make the most of the wider public transport network in Bedford and access services from multiple operators. We are always listening to customer feedback and seeking ways to make our services more accessible and convenient for local people. The Cygnet ticket will allow unlimited travel on any service in the designated area and is a great solution to provide customers with better value for money when travelling with us.”
Dave Shelley, Director of Grant Palmer said: “It is great news that the relaunch of Cygnet as a paper ticket will make it more easily available across Bedford, offering the option of value and convenience across the whole of the Bedford town bus network. The old smartcard scheme was not ideal and presented barriers to use, the new paper based system will be available to buy on any operator’s bus, without the need to plan ahead. Just ask the driver for one as you board, and pay by cash or card.”
Ed Cameron, Commercial Manager at Uno, said: “As we all settle in to new routines again and we welcome people back on to buses, it’s great to be working with Bedford Borough Council, Grant Palmer and Stagecoach to improve the Cygnet ticketing scheme. Having a single ticket that can be used on almost any bus in Bedford will give people the flexibility they want, and it’s great value too. We’re looking forward to seeing further improvements made to Bedford’s bus network in the future following a series of workshops with bus operators, passenger groups and the local authority.”
The ‘Cygnet’ pass is £6 for a day ticket, with the weekly ticket priced at £18. You can buy the ticket on Stagecoach, Grant Palmer and Uno buses.
