A COMBINED rail-bus ticket has been launched for a series of destinations across Kent and Sussex.

Thanet South MP Dr Stephen Ladyman announced the development on a bus outside Ramsgate railway station, allowing passengers to add unlimited bus travel in certain towns to their train tickets.

There is some irony in the choice of Dr Ladyman to launch the ticket, given that in his travel expenses published this year, it was revealed that he had not taken a single bus ride.

Called PlusBus, the new discount ticket is run in Kent by rail operator Southeastern and bus group Stagecoach, and is already available nationally in more than 195 towns and cities.

Dr Ladyman said: "High quality train and bus services are the key to getting more people to use public transport and if we can also make ticketing arrangements more convenient by allowing people to get tickets that combine both then that is a big step forward."