Well December has arrived and that means my Birthday Bus pass has expired.

A great idea pioneered by our West of England Metro Mayor, Dan Norris, it gives you totally free bus travel across the entire FirstBus network for the whole month of your birthday, in my case the whole of November. It started in August and runs until the end of July 2024.

Living in Midsomer Norton means I have benefitted from the use of the 172, 522 and 376 services to go to Bristol four times and Bath twice, on trips that would otherwise have been car journeys or not at all. Not having to worry about having a beer or two either.

Mind you, getting home from Farrington from the 376 in the evening after visiting Bristol takes a bit of imagination, so a pavement from Farrington to Midsomer Norton has to be a priority for future transport integration.

So hats off to Dan Norris for getting the Birthday Bus scheme off the ground, I’m sure it will get replicated in other areas of the country and I encourage every body to get one for their birthday month and get out to places or see people you wouldn’t otherwise visit. 

Apply here: https://www.birthdaybus.co.uk/register, it only takes five minutes. It’s free!