One million paseengers have now used Huddersfield's Free Town Bus!

Feb 9 2010 by Kevin Core, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

IT WAS a landmark occasion.

But the unknown passenger who became the one millionth shopper to board Huddersfield’s Free Town Bus had no idea he or she was a superstar.

Metro chiefs hailed the success of the service but shied away from making a fuss.

Introduced in October 2006, the pair of low-floor vehicles have made almost 70,000 complete journeys around Huddersfield town centre.

The millionth customer milestone was expected to be reached some months ago, but the use of the services dropped with the recent bad weather.

User numbers are monitored by a ‘Wayfarer’ machine which the driver digitally logs whilst passengers get on and off the vehicle.

Metro chairman Ryk Downes, said: “The FreeTown Bus has been a popular success from day one.

“By making it easier for people with mobility problems, buggies or small children to get around, Metro’s free bus services have been shown in surveys to increase the numbers of shopping trips, which support the local economy.”

Users at the stops had various reasons for jumping aboard.

Katie Whitehead, 22, a Huddersfield University student, said: “I get the train to university and I use the free bus everyday from the station. It saves time and it’s easier for me when I have to lug my uni books around.

“It’s free and comes every ten minutes – there are no negatives.”