Families with children on free school meals, disabled and older people are being offered a summer of free bus travel, Kent County Council has announced.

The authority has received funding through the government’s National Bus Strategy.

Families with children eligible for free school meals can take advantage of the ‘Bus About Kent’ concession from July 23 until August 31.

It allows groups of four, with at least one adult and a maximum of two, to use buses around the county.

David Brazier, KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We are pleased to be able to promote this offer to some of the county’s most hard-pressed families and thank the bus companies and their staff involved for their co-operation in implementing it.”

To check if you are eligible go to: Free school meals - Kent County Council

There are restrictions on the use of this bus pass:

• at least one child and one adult must travel together;
• journeys cannot start after 8pm in the evening;
• it is only for use by the family to whom it was allocated;
• these passes are only valid for journeys in areas maintained by Kent County Council.

The pass is valid in Kent on the following bus services: Autocar, Arriva, Chalkwell, Farleigh Coaches, Go Coach, Hams Travel, Kent Coach Tours, Metrobus, Nu-Venture, R&J Coaches, Redroute, Regent Coaches, Stagecoach and Starline Coaches.

KCC has also announced that older and disabled people who have a concessionary bus pass ride the buses for free for longer.

During August 2023, KCC will remove the limit restricting people who have an English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) pass to travel from Kent or Medway after 9.30am.

People with a valid pass will be able to use the bus at any time up until 11pm Monday to Friday and all day at weekends.

Cllr David Brazier, added: “We want to ensure we make the bus a safe, convenient, and great way to get about the county whether that be to visit friends or head for a day out.

“This initiative is designed to get people back on the bus and to rediscover why it is such a great way to get about Kent.”

The initiative is funded by KCC’s Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation by the government.