Press Release

Stagecoach backs anti-poverty rally with 1,000 bus seats

Stagecoach confirmed today (7 June 2005) that it is to make available 1,000 subsidised seats on special dedicated buses travelling from London to Edinburgh for the anti-poverty rally on 6 July.

A convoy of a dozen megabus.com double-deckers will travel north to Scotland late on 5 July, arriving in Edinburgh on the morning of the rally. The buses will return south to London on the evening of 6 July after the rally has ended.

The subsidised seats will be priced at £8 return and will be available to book on the megabus.com website next week. Further details will be announced in the next few days.

Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said: “Having operated buses in Africa, we have seen at first hand the huge scale of the poverty problem and the devastating effect of the Aids pandemic.

“We have consistently assisted health and orphan projects for more than a decade and this year we are giving £50,000 to help Ugandan orphan programmes.

“We support the objectives of the Make Poverty History coalition and Gordon Brown’s aid for trade initiative and we hope our offer of low-cost transport to the rally in Edinburgh next month will help get the message across loud and clear.”

Stagecoach has been working in partnership with the Make Poverty History coalition to put in place appropriate safety and security measures. Dedicated stewards will be on duty when passengers board the megabus.com vehicles at Greenline Coach Station in Victoria, London.

There will be a family-friendly travelling environment on board and no alcohol will be permitted. The arrangements will mean that people who are passionate about making their voice heard will be able to get to Edinburgh for the rally and have the assurance of a guaranteed seat there and back.