However,  after celebrating over one million birthday journeys this year, on Monday Dan Norris announced plans to extend the scheme into 2025.

The scheme will start again from December 1 2024.

A new addition will be that people aged 21 or younger will be able to use their birthday pass for two months – the month of their birthday and the following month.

Citing a report by KPMG, Norris said the scheme was “very good value for money”, adding that “for every pound you spend, you get in effect £2.20 back”.

Norris added that the scheme had: “taken off 5.2 million miles of car journeys in our region, which is not just helpful for the environment (but it also) means less congestion, less pollution.

“And the thing I’m really proud of about Birthday Buses – we’re still in the financial cost of living crisis.

“It’s still a very tough of time for people.

“And if you can get 1/12th off your bus bill a year, if you’re reliant on buses, that makes a big difference to many people.”

https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/birthday-bus-scheme-to-be-extended/?utm_source=Bristol24%2F7&utm_campaign=5e6c1c1067-b247_newsletter_291024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_67a9a4e1bd-5e6c1c1067-38758697&mc_cid=5e6c1c1067&mc_eid=86ae7efe71

 
I had an email from WECA about it this morning and applied immediately as November is my birthday month but from reading the above, it looks like the scheme starts from December 1st, just a few days after I become eligible for my free annual pass anyway.