The Hull Bus Alliance has held its first “Bus Champions Day” to give students more information on options for getting around the city.
The partnership, made up of Hull City Council, Stagecoach and East Yorkshire Buses, is working with Hull University Students’ Union (HUSU) to ensure students, staff and their families have all the information they need to access public transport.
With more than 2,000 international students living in the Hull area, the alliance is particularly keen to help those who may be unfamiliar with public transport in the UK.
Representatives from each of the three Hull Bus Alliance partners held a joint event at the Student Central building at the University of Hull this week, providing advice and answering questions on things such as bus services, timetables, maps, ticket options and mobile phone apps.
The event was well attended, with people from all backgrounds stopping to ask the experts for advice and share their experiences of using public transport in Hull.
Many students were previously unaware of the options available to them, such as the Hull Card and KAT Card, both of which offer unlimited bus travel in and around the city at a reduced cost.
After a successful first event, the Hull Bus Alliance now plans to hold more similar days on campus, focusing on freshers’ week and “re-fresher’s week” when new intakes of students arrive at the university.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, Hull City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “Hull’s student population are a vital part of our city, and we want to do all we can to help them settle in and find their way around the city.
“Some people who attended the event said they sometimes felt isolated, so they were pleased to hear about cheaper ways to explore the city and socialise.
“I hope these Bus Champions Days will go a little way towards making travel easier for people in Hull.”
Matt Cranwell, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said the company was thrilled to be part the event.
“The growing student population is a core part of our Hull community and students are increasingly looking at cost-effective and sustainable ways to travel across the city, said Matt.
“This event has allowed us to talk directly with students and give them specific transport details suitable for their circumstances.
“We look forward to future events where we can interact directly with students and their families and help ensure they know the best way to travel around Hull.”
Ben Gilligan, Managing Director of East Yorkshire Buses, said: “We were delighted to take part in the Hull Bus Champions Day at the University of Hull.
“Students are a key part of Hull’s community, and much like everyone at the moment, they’re looking for easy and cost-effective methods of travel.
“The event allowed us to talk directly to students, and discuss the best way to travel based on their individual circumstances, and we look forward to working with the university further to ensure that our journeys are as easy for students as possible, so that they can focus on exploring this great area using the best way possible.”
Huey Arslan, President of Union Development at Hull University Students’ Union, said the union was happy to be able to host the first Bus Champions Day.
“HUSU’s engagement with the Hull Bus Alliance has been driven through our student council, who highlighted significant challenges for students using public transport in the city last term,” said Huey.
“HUSU is happy to be working in collaboration with members of the Bus Alliance towards the goal of improving the service for our campus community and hopes that this relationship will continue into the future.”
For more advice on getting around the city, visit Travel Hull
