Mansfield bus operator to give veterans free travel on Armistice Day and Remembrance Day

Free travel will be valid on its bus and tram services right across the UK on Armistice Day on November 11 and Remembrance Sunday on November 13.

These routes now include the 141 service serving Mansfield, Rainworth and Sutton’s King’s Mill Hospital, which Stagecoach took over the running of last month.

The commitment to free travel, which is now in its second year, comes on the back of the launch of Stagecoach’s employee-led Veterans’ Network last year.

As a cause close to the hearts of its employees and customers, Stagecoach has been a long-time supporter of the Poppy Appeal, and in addition to free travel on November 11 and 13, Stagecoach will be operating a number of poppy buses across its network.

Poppies will also be displayed on the front of buses across the country with some destination blinds showing the messaging ‘we will remember them’.

Stagecoach has also been a member of the Armed Forces Covenant since March 2015, recognising the value of serving personnel, regular and reservists, veterans and military families to both the country and businesses across the country.

Simon Tramalloni, co-lead for the Stagecoach Veterans Network and himself a veteran of campaigns in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Africa and the Middle East, said: “After the idea came about last year, I am so proud that we are now able to offer this to military cadets and celebrate a second year of offering free travel to military and ex-military personnel.

"The Veterans Network is allowing us to build on the work that Stagecoach has led over many years to identify how else we can support those veterans already working for us and those that may want to come and join the company.

“Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal are causes close to the hearts of many of our employees and customers and we are very pleased to be making this commitment that will hopefully help people to attend memorials across the UK.”