Get on board and find your festive feeling with giveaways, competitions and more
Bills, Bills, Bills – so sang Destiny’s Child and they’re not wrong. The cost-of-living crisis means Christmas will be difficult for some families this year more than ever. Transport for Greater Manchester will be trying to spread some Christmas cheer with giveaways on social media and across the Metrolink network as part of its Get on Board campaign.
“With the roads expected to be very busy, sustainable public transport and active travel is the way to go. Look out for this year’s giveaways too.”
The virtual advent calendar has a prize behind every door with a new winner every day. You could be on your way to a pantomime at Manchester’s Opera House, enjoying a Christmas on the Cobbles Coronation Street Tour, heading off to the ballet, dining out at The Black Friar or even enjoying an overnight stay and a three-course dinner in a city-centre hotel. Every prize is easily accessible by public transport or active travel.
Public transport is the way to travel this Christmas. Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, explains: “With lower bus fares and great value daily and weekend Metrolink ticket options as we build the integrated Bee Network, public transport and active travel has never been more accessible and cost-effective for everyone in Greater Manchester over the festive period.
“With the roads expected to be very busy, sustainable public transport and active travel is the way to go. Look out for this year’s giveaways too.”
So go car-free and carefree in December: no nightmare traffic queues, no extortionate parking fees, no petrol to pay for. But even with great value bus and tram options and the opportunity to walk, wheel and cycle, holiday days out are unaffordable for some families.
That’s where TfGM’s inspirational round up of free and low-cost days out comes in. It’s an extensive selection of things to do on a budget – plus transport planning to get you there. From Santa’s Reindeer Parade to the Lightwaves installations at MediaCity and Salford Quays, there are ideas for everyone – and every budget. Check TfGM’s website for the best value fares.
TfGM is also working with waste management company SUEZ to improve active travel prospects for people who might be excluded from getting on their bike because they don’t have one.
To help communicate the message that cycling is for everyone, TfGM is working with SUEZ to provide ‘bikes for life’ to local charities and community groups to pass on to people who want to get in the saddle The bikes, from SUEZ’s waste management sites across Greater Manchester, have been reclaimed and repaired ready to be given away as part of the campaign.
Cllr Martyn Cox, GMCA lead for the Environment and Waste & Recycling said, “This is an excellent example of the kind of sustainable future we’re working towards in Greater Manchester – fixing and reusing things that still have plenty of life left in them and making active travel the first choice for short journeys.
“These bikes were donated at the recycling centres across Greater Manchester, but now thanks to our partners at the Manchester Bike Kitchen, they’ve been repaired and serviced and are ready to go to their new homes.”
To help find your festive feeling, see affordable Christmas days out and how to get there here
Enter the Christmas Competition
