The cost of a single bus journey has been capped at £2 on most Stagecoach and Arriva routes has now been extended until the end of June.
The Bus Fare Cap scheme is a Government funded scheme introduced on most single bus journeys across England from the 1st January 2023.
These tickets can be purchased on the bus apps or on board.
For more information please visit the Stagecoach webpage for Canterbury buses or the Arriva webpage for Medway buses.
The University of Kent works in partnership with stagecoach to bring our staff and students the best value accessible bus travel in Kent.
We are currently the first to be trialing the new Stagecoach mobile corporate app, which enables you to gain exclusive access to the latest discounted bus tickets. As a University of Kent or Kent Union member of staff you receive a 25% discount!
The discounted ticket range includes weekly (7 day) and monthly (28 day) tickets for the Canterbury local travel zone or the whole South East area, for those travelling a bit further to work.
Buying bus tickets on the mobile app means you can pay conveniently on the go using card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and you can use your ticket straight away! What’s even better is there aren’t any restrictions on when you can use your ticket. So whether you’re commuting to work, nipping out for the evening or exploring local hidden gems at the weekend, you can get there for less.
Of course, COVID safety is at the top of the agenda at the moment and Stagecoach has published a guide to travelling safely by bus – https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/covid-19-travelling-safely. With extensive measures to make their services COVID-secure all their local buses are accredited with Visit Britain’s “We’re Good to Go” official mark, recognising the measures they’ve taken to meet government COVID guidelines, keep buses clean and aid social distancing.
Remember – it’s mandatory to use of face coverings on all public transport and social distancing should be maintained at the bus stops and on the buses.
To get discounted bus travel now, download the app or for more information visit our bus travel webpage.
See our COVID-19 travel webpage for regular COVID updates and @UniKent_travel twitter feed (also displayed on our Transport news webpage) for regular service updates.
Happy New Year from the Transport Team! As it is the time of year for resolutions and trying out new things, why not try a new commute for the New Year? There are many different ways to travel to and from campus, which may be cheaper, easier, more social, and environmentally friendlier.
To help, we have put together a guide to some of the transport links the university has below.
Train Travel
Both campuses are served by good train links.
Canterbury is served by two train stations: Canterbury East and West. Both are on the Uni bus routes or if your New Year’s resolution was to get fit, why not try walking from the station to the campus a couple of times a week. It is a great way to fit in your steps before work!
For Medway, there are two train stations near the campus: Chatham and Gillingham. Both have regular services running in to them from most of the county. They are accessible via bus or a short walk.
There are many options to help with the ticket costs. For those who travel more than three times a week, season tickets can work out a lot cheaper, giving you unlimited travel of the route. For more information, please see the SouthEastern Rail website.
There are also plenty of railcards which can save you up to a third off all rail journeys: 16-25, Two Together, and Network railcards to name a few. These can be used on any journey you make across the country, and could end up saving you a fortune!
To see if there is any easy train route for your commute, use the rail journey planner now.
Bus Services
Canterbury:
From Canterbury bus station, there are buses travelling far and wide across the region. To see the nearest route to you, use the Stagecoach route planner. A quick journey on the Unibus service (running every 8 minutes during peak times!) brings you up to campus from the city centre, stopping at multiple stops around campus.
The Unibus 1 and 2, Triangle (serving Herne Bay and Whitstable), 4, and 6 services come directly on to campus. For those of you lucky enough to live along one of those routes, you will not even need to change buses in Canterbury.
To help make bus commutes affordable for all, the university works with Stagecoach to offer staff discounted tickets with the option of paying via salary deduction to spread the cost. For more information, please see our webpage.
Medway:
The Medway campuses are served by a number of different services coming from across Medway, which can be seen on our webpages.
As with Stagecoach, the university works with Arriva to offer discounted bus travel to staff. For more information, and to download the promotional codes, please visit our webpage.
For more information on routes and timetables, please see our website.
Car Sharing
Still need to drive, but want to make it cheaper and more social? Why not try car sharing?
We have teamed up with the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church University to develop a private online car share scheme for staff and students via LiftShare.
On the Canterbury campus, we even have dedicated car share bays in the Estates car park, allowing those with a car share permit to park with ease in a central location.
You don’t have to Liftshare every day, even sharing once a week with someone makes a big difference. You’d be surprised how much the benefits add up over time; we’re talking financial savings (drivers can make back up to 100% of their fuel costs by sharing), as well as reducing your carbon footprint and decreasing congestion and parking pressures. Plus you might make some great new connections!
For more information on car share permits, please see our webpages.
Cycling
Cycling can be a cheap, quick, and healthy way to travel. To help with the initial costs, the university offers staff a cycle to work scheme, which enables you to purchase a brand new bike and accessories from a range of participating local stores at a discounted rate.
You will also save on Income Tax and National Insurance contributions, against the cost of the bike, and can even spread the cost over a 12 or 18 month period. For more information on how to sign up, please see the staff finance page.
On both campuses we offer secure lockable cycle shelters, lockers, and showers in various locations.
Walking
If you live nearby, why not try walking to work a couple of days a week. There are many benefits of walking; it is good for your physical and mental health, as well as saving money and helping the environment. Why splash out on a gym membership when you can get your daily dose of exercise on your commute.
For those who missed out on the discounted Unirider tickets in September, or who have just started at Kent, you are in luck. Stagecoach are releasing a further discounted Unirider ticket on 11 January. Their Term 2 and 3 Unirider ticket runs from 11 January 2020 to the 14 June 2020 and costs £195. That works out at just 79p per day!
As well as allowing you to commute from Canterbury to campus, the Unirider ticket covers the whole of Kent and East Sussex- so you can explore all the region has to offer.
To purchase a Unirider ticket, either visit the Stagecoach website or the Travel Shop at the Canterbury bus station.
Stagecoach, in partnership with Megabus, are now providing a new Stagecoach Express service along the M2. Running from Canterbury Bus Station, the service stops at Medway (Chatham and Gillingham) before terminating at North Greenwich Underground Station in London.
Taking just over an hour, the O2 service is the perfect option for commuting between campuses when the Campus Shuttle is not running in the holidays. Or, if you fancy a trip to London, North Greenwich is the home of the O2, and just a short tube ride from central London.
The buses come equipped with free WiFi, contactless payments, power sockets, air conditioning, and disabled access, making for a comfortable and easy commute.
See the table below for a list of the prices, or you can get a weekly commuter ticket for just over £5 a day.
|
|
Single | Return | ||||
|
|
Pre-Booking (Plus a £1 booking fee) | Pay on Coach | Pay on Coach (Student) | Pre-Booking (Plus a £1 booking fee) | Pay on Coach |
Pay on Coach (Student) |
|
Canterbury to/from London |
£7.50 | £10.00 | £8.00 | £15.00 | £17.00 |
£12.00 |
|
Medway to/from London |
£6.00 | £8.00 | £6.50 | £12.00 | £13.50 |
£10.00 |
| Canterbury to/from Medway | £5.00 | £7.00 | £6.00 | £10.00 | £12.00 |
£9.00 |
For more information, and to view the full service timetable, please visit the Stagecoach website.
There are only three weeks left of term (!) which means that it is time to start thinking about your journey home for the holidays. Whether you’re flying, driving, or taking a sleigh home, we’re here to offer some handy tips.
1. By bus:
Stagecoach express
Stagecoach, in partnership with Megabus, is now providing a new Stagecoach Express service along the M2. Running from Canterbury Bus Station, the service stops at Medway (Chatham and Gillingham) before terminating at North Greenwich Underground Station in London. North Greenwich is just a short tube journey from central London and its many National Rail train stations.
Unirider bus passes cannot be used on this service, however, students are entitled to a discount on walk on tickets, or you can book in advance and receive further discounts.
National Express
The National Express 022 from Canterbury to London Victoria stops at the Keynes bus stop six times a day. From London Victoria, you are able travel to many other UK destinations.
If you need to catch a flight, fear not, National Express provides cheap transfers to many airports, including; Gatwick, Heathrow, Stanstead, and Luton. For more information, check out their dedicated Airport Transfers page.
Students are entitled to the Young Persons Coach card, which offers a third off journeys for just £12.50 a year. This means that a single from Canterbury to London can cost as little as £5!
National Express also offer other discounts to their customers; please see their offers and cheap ticket pages for more details.
2. By train
National Rail
For Canterbury students, the South Eastern rail high speed from Canterbury West takes under an hour to transport you to St Pancras International in central London.
For Medway students, there are two train stations near the campus: Chatham and Gillingham. Both of these run the high speed service, and will get you to St Pancras in around 40 minutes.
From St Pancras, you can catch a train to hundreds of destinations throughout the UK, or catch a tube to one of the other stations serving National Rail across London.
St Pancras has a direct line to Gatwick and Luton airports, via the ThamesLink service. For all other airports, take a look at the TFL guide to London airports.
All full time students, regardless of age, are entitled to a 16-25 railcard from National Rail. The railcard costs just £30 for the year and saves you a third on all journeys.
Eurostar
We are very lucky to have quick links to Europe from our campus. From Ashford International, Ebbsfleet International (both on the high speed line to St Pancras) and St Pancras International, you can take the Eurostar to destinations in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
3. By car
Car Share
Car share is not just for commuting, but can be used for single journeys, like getting home for Christmas. Why not see if you can find someone travelling the same way as you and share the costs with another student. You not only save money, but also the environment.
The University of Kent has worked alongside the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church to create a Liftshare page dedicated to university staff and students: Unishare South East. Unishare allows you the peace of mind to travel with other university staff and students. Simply follow the link to create an account.
Taxis
Travelling to a London airport from Canterbury or Medway campuses, costs in the region of £75 – £125. The cost will vary depending on which London airport you need to travel too. Try and find other students going to the airport, by using the car share database, so that you can split the cost.
If you need to get a taxi, remember to book in advance. Speak to a couple of taxi firms for quotes so you can get the best deal.
The University uses the services of the following taxi companies:
Canterbury: Cab Co, Cab Line 6 Ltd, Canterbury Galaxy Taxis, Canterbury Taxis, Croft Cars, Longley’s Private Hire, Longport Taxis, Wilkinson Taxis Ltd
Medway: ABC Taxis, Computer Cabs, Express Travel, HWS Taxis, Vokes Taxis
With evenings getting darker, adverse weather on the horizon, and temporary road closures, knowing the best way to travel can be tricky. Whatever the situation, the Transport Team’s Planning your Journey page has been developed to help plan your commute.
Travel Advisors update the page regularly with new apps, webpages, and social media links that give up to date information on road, rail, bus, and bicycle travel.
Now that winter is looming, we are updating the Transport web pages with the latest adverse weather information, and we will also endeavor to update you on our twitter page if there are any travel disruptions on or around our campuses.
Remember that weather can change at any time. Be prepared for this before you start your journey, no matter the mode of transport.
Driving
Ensure that you and your vehicle are prepared for driving in adverse weather conditions. Read some top tips to prepare for driving during the winter and don’t forget to plan your journey before you leave so you are aware of any disruptions.
Public transport, cycling and walking
For students at our Medway campus, the cheapest way to commute to university is our Arriva Student Annual ticket. This ticket allows travel on any Arriva bus throughout Medway, Kent and East Sussex for the entire year.
The Universities at Medway work with Arriva to provide highly discounted bus tickets for both students and staff. Because of this, the student annual ticket is only £145. This works out as only 39p per day for travel all around the region!
This discount is available for students at both campuses. For information on how to apply, and the exclusive University of Kent promotional codes, please visit our Medway bus webpage
The cheapest way for Canterbury students to travel around the local area is the Stagecoach Unirider, which allows unlimited travel across Kent and East Sussex. The Unirider ticket is valid for the academic year and the discount is exclusive to University of Kent students.
For the first two weeks of term, the Unirider will be available to buy from the Unibus parked on the lawn outside the Registry building on the Canterbury Campus between 10:00 and 16:00. It is also available to buy online from the Stagecoach website.
Remember to purchase up to and including 1 October for the early bird discount of £180 for the academic year. This is a saving of 77% on the public price. After the 1 October, the price will change to £255 for the academic year.
This discount is available for students at both campuses. For more information about bus routes, timetables and discounts visit our Canterbury bus webpage
Buying Stagecoach’s dayrider and megarider tickets will soon be cheaper on the app.
From July 29, Stagecoach will be changing their pricing structure. You will be able to save up to 7.5% by buying all dayrider and megarider tickets in advance on the app, rather than in person on the bus. For example the Southeast dayrider will remain £7.00 on the bus, however, it will only be £6.80 through the app.
You can buy tickets up to three months in advance, then simply activate them on the days you wish to travel. Payment can be made securely with card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Android Pay.
For a full list of the new dayrider and megarider tickets, please visit the Stagecoach bus app website, or, to download the app, go to the App store or Google Play.
For staff and students, however, the cheapest option is a bus pass. Students will be able to get the Unirider bus pass from September.
Staff are eligible for either the Canterbury or Southeast Megarider at a reduced rate. Using the Southeast Megarider, staff can travel around Kent and East Sussex for as little as £1.45 a day.
For more information, or to apply for a bus pass, please visit our Bus discount webpages.