£6 bus pass to use across three Bedford operators gets a relaunch

A pass which helps you switch freely between buses in Bedford has been relaunched.

Called the Cygnet pass, the paper ticket will allow 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 includes the whole of Bedford and Kempston, as well as surrounding villages such as Bromham, Oakley, Cople and Elstow.

It costs £6 for a day ticket, with the weekly ticket priced at £18 and can be bought on any bus.

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.”

Darren Roe, managing director of Stagecoach East, said: “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."

Dave Shelley, director of Grant Palmer, said: “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: "Having a single ticket that can be used on almost any bus in Bedford will give people the flexibility they want."