23.06.16
Metrolink expands free travel offer for service personnel
In-uniform service men and women will be able to travel for free on Metrolink, the Manchester tram network announced to mark Armed Forces Day.
Metrolink has traditionally offered free travel to personnel on Armed Forces Day, which takes place each year on 25 June, but it is now offering it full time on production of a military pass.
On Armed Forces Day the free travel will also be offered to veterans, who should show their veteran’s badge and ID card.
Cllr Andrew Fender, chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Committee, said: “There are a number of poignant military anniversaries this year, all of which underline the debt the nation has to our Armed Forces, so it was right that Metrolink should join other transport bodies in offering this small token of our appreciation.”
In addition, Metrolink is joining a national scheme which commits it to being a Forces-friendly organisation.
Dr Jon Lamonte, chief executive of TfGM and a former Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Air Force, said: “We are always proud to support our Armed Forces and I’m personally delighted that we are able to show this by putting our name to a national agreement which commits us to showing that in a comprehensive way.”
The news comes at a time of growth for Metrolink, with passenger journeys increasing by 19.1% in the past year and passenger satisfaction, as measured in a Transport Focus survey, up by 4%.
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