School bus travel in Rochdale cut by £1

Children in Rochdale will be able to save £1 a week on the cost of school travel from next month.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority is introducing a new £6 weekly ticket for three of the school bus services it provides in the borough. It currently costs 70p for a single child ticket.

The School Saver ticket will be valid on the 881 service to Oulder Hill Community High, the 784 to St Anne's Academy and the 882 to St Cuthbert's RC High.

Councillor Allen Brett, Rochdale's spokesperson on the Passenger Transport Authority, said: "The new School Saver ticket could save families in the borough nearly £40 a year on school travel costs."

The new School Saver ticket will be on sale from Monday 31 March in newsagents, supermarkets and garages across Rochdale with the Pay Point sign, as well as from the GMPTE Travelshops in Rochdale and Middleton Bus Stations. The System One Bus Saver 7 is also available in the same locations. A list of the shops with the Pay Point system is available online at www.paypoint.co.uk/locator.

Pupils will be able to buy the School Saver ticket up to three days in advance of its start date and will need a GMPTE Under 16 membership card. The card is free and application forms can be picked up from Travelshops or downloaded from www.gmpte.com/under16.