Unique travel deal saves St Andrews University staff and students £500,000

Described by some staff as “life-changing” and “the best thing ever”, the bus travel discount is used on average by 1500 staff and students per month. Not only can those buying bus ticket bundles use them for work or study, but their flexible nature means they can be used in evenings and weekends too, helping household budgets during challenging times.

The unique partnership is one of several measures by the university to support staff and students during the cost of living and energy crisis.

It has also resulted in the university significantly reducing its carbon footprint by 448 tonnes of CO2e - the equivalent of 2231 return flights from Edinburgh to London – in just nine months. Taking the bus instead of travelling by car has resulted in staff and students cutting their own footprint for each journey by 37%.

Derek Watson, the university’s chief operating officer, said: “The university places social responsibility at the heart of all it does and it’s right that we should do all we can to support our staff, students and their families through the cost-of-living crisis.

“The substantial investment we have made in this scheme, working with Stagecoach, has had a hugely positive impact financially and helped us make significant strides towards our ambitious net-zero targets £500,000 is a huge milestone and I’m pleased colleagues and students see the massive value of getting on board with this scheme.”

Sarah Elliott, commercial director, Stagecoach East Scotland said: "The partnership has yielded excellent results in less than a year, showing a real commitment to carbon reduction in the area. Using the bus is already easier on the pocket than paying for fuel, parking and car maintenance costs but the additional savings available through this discount scheme come at a crucial time."