Leave the car at home and get the bus into town for Congleton Pride.

Congleton Town Council has allocated the first of its four 'Free Bus Days' from Cheshire East Council to the LGBTQ+ celebration taking place this Saturday, July 18.

All of the buses in the Congleton boundary will be free of charge for everyone, including the 'Beartown' buses 90, 91, 92 and 93A/C, circulars to and from Mossley, Bromley Farm, Buglawton and West Heath respectively, as well as the number 38, 42, and 94, for the portions of their journey within the Congleton boundary (see map below).

Congleton Pride Co-Chair Abby Smith said: "Many thanks to the town council for supporting our pride event, both with a charity grant and by nominating it for one of the Free Bus Days.

"I'm sure that lots of our visitors will catch the bus and save on the hassle and cost of parking.

"Of course not everyone has a car or can drive, so it makes our event even more inclusive to offer a free bus service.

"I hope everyone will jump on the bus to pride and feel free to have a drink from the bar while joining in with the activities on the stalls, having a go at our crafting sessions and enjoying the live music in the town hall."

Four 'Free Bus Days' have been granted to towns across the borough, paid for by the UK Government through the Cheshire East Bus Partnership.

At the recent Food & Drink Festival in June, Congleton Town Council itself paid for the Beartown Circular buses to run on a Sunday (they are normally Monday to Saturday) and to be free for passengers, with considerable success.

Bus usage that day was up 55% compared to an average Saturday and passenger feedback on the free services was very positive.

Councillor Kay Wesley, chair of the town council's Community Committee, said: "I'm delighted the town council agreed to use one of our Free Bus Days for Pride.

"The event always brings a lot of people to the town centre, which is good for our shops and businesses, many of whom decorate their windows and join in the festival.

"The event in the town hall includes free music and a bar, and I know the Market Quarter and lots of our local pubs are joining in with the day, so it is a great opportunity to leave the car at home.

"I got the bus to and from the Food & Drink Festival, and it was good to see the buses looking full and lots of people trying the bus for the first time.

"Many thanks to the Cheshire East team for making these Free Bus Days available.

"The buses will also very soon be providing Real Time Passenger Information, which makes catching the bus even easier."