03/10/2007

• Annual bus tickets on offer via RBS employee benefits choice programme
• Staff taking green travel option will save income tax and National Insurance

Stagecoach and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group have linked up to offer employees a tax incentive to make more use of public transport and save money on bus travel.

Annual bus travel with Stagecoach is now available to RBS staff through the bank’s employee benefits scheme RBSelect.

The scheme allows RBS employees to receive the bus travel benefit free from income tax and National Insurance.

Bus travel can be booked online or via a dedicated Stagecoach/RBS call centre, with employees issued with 12 monthly megarider tickets over the course of a year.

Thousands of RBS employees in the North, East and West of Scotland, as well as staff in Manchester, will be able to benefit from the tie-up.

Trevor Blackman, Head of Remuneration and Benefits at RBS, said: “As well as being a more environmentally friendly way to get to work, the tax free bus scheme allows our employees to make considerable savings on their annual travel costs.

“At RBS we are constantly looking at ways to improve our flexible benefits scheme to ensure the products on offer add real value for staff. We are delighted that through working with Stagecoach, we are able to extend the availability of discounted local bus travel even further.”

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “We are delighted to have linked up with one of the country’s biggest employers to encourage more people to get on board the bus.

“Travelling by public transport has clear environmental benefits. This initiative has the potential to help cut the number of cars on the road and improve the quality of life in and around our towns and cities.”

Stagecoach is taking the lead in introducing new initiatives to support more sustainable travel choices, working closely with major employers, colleges, universities and hospitals.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steve Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications
Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680
email: steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com

• Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 27,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
• Stagecoach is one of the biggest bus operators in the UK, running more than 7,000 vehicles in around 100 towns and cities from the Highlands of Scotland to south-west England.
• For detailed information about Stagecoach bus services, including timetables, fares and tickets, go to www.stagecoachbus.com