In the run up to Christmas, special deals are being offered to encourage people in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area to travel either by bus or by bike.

Beryl is offering the first 15 minutes for free on pedal bike journeys finishing in specific Beryl Bays in each of the three town centres – the equivalent of getting half of an average Beryl Bike journey free of charge. The offer is available on specific days and times, including Thursday 15 and 22 December from 5pm to midnight and across all weekends running up to Christmas. It will also be available on Christmas Eve. Rides must either start or end at specified bays to qualify for the offer.

For more information including the location of relevant Beryl bays, download the Beryl app on https://beryl.app.link/RRB44wStQW?_p=c81129c399077af5e6038cfdea

Morebus is offering a ‘5 for a Fiver’ group ticket. For £5, up to five people travelling together can hop on and off buses to and through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole town centres. The £5 ticket can be bought from the driver as you board. It’s available anytime on Saturdays and Sundays until 24 December, as well as after 6pm on Thursday late night shopping nights until 22 December.  Details of the offer can be found on https://www.morebus.co.uk/christmas-days-out-just-5-fiver

Cllr Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for Sustainability and Transport said: “Journeys by bus and bike are stress-free, low-cost and environmentally friendly ways of travelling this Christmas. If you can, why not leave the car at home and jump on a bus or grab a Beryl bike to visit the brilliant Bournemouth Christmas Tree Wonderland or Poole’s new Christmas Maritime Light Festival.”

Phil Ellis, Beryl CEO and co-founder, said: “We know that December can be a busy time for town centres and we hope our offer will encourage people to leave the car at home and use our bikes as a cheaper and more sustainable alternative.

“By doing this, they can help reduce traffic congestion and harmful carbon emissions, improve their physical and mental health and the quality of the region’s air.”

Nikki Honer, Go South Coast’s head of marketing said: “We hope our festive ‘five for a fiver’ group offer will help families with the cost of living and congestion in our towns in the run up to Christmas. Both Poole and Bournemouth have fantastic free Christmas light events this year and we are keen for local people to be able to enjoy these without the need for their car.”