New flexible ticket better than car ownership – NatEx

National Express West Midlands is introducing flexible bus tickets for people who are not going into their workplace five days a week at the moment.

The operator is promoting that it makes no financial sense to run a car any more, even Top Gear’s reasonably priced one. The famous red Vauxhall Astra 1.6, raced around the track by celebrities on the BBC show, costs £3,083 a year to run, £257 a month. Even before lockdown, National Express West Midlands cites the figure that the average car was parked up for 98% of its time.

Chris Gibbens, Commercial Director at National Express West Midlands, said: “We have listened to our customers and designed new flexible tickets and ways of buying bus travel to suit how we’re working since the virus changed our way of life.

“If you’re only going into work a few days a week, you probably don’t need a weekly or a monthly pass at the moment. So you can now get a bus ticket that matches your situation – and it works out cheaper than getting a day ticket every time. Our new tickets put you in control and mean you’re only paying for what you use.

“If you’re pretty sure you’re mainly going in to work three days a week, our new Flexifare gives you 13 days’ travel a month for £45. That saves you over £2,500 a year compared to the reasonably priced car. That’s enough for a family holiday – or you could finally cave in and get the children a dog. This new ticket is available via subscription, so you can turn it on and forget about it.

“But if you’re not sure how many days per week you’ll be going in to work, you can get a bundle of ten day tickets which you can use any day you want over three months for just £42.”

In a recent Transport for West Midlands survey, a fifth of people did not know whether they would continue to work from home over the next three months, go back in to their workplace, or do a mixture of both.