Calling everyone with a birthday in August. It's time to log on to the West of England Birthday Bus website to apply for your free month of birthday travel.

www.birthdaybus.co.uk is now live.

Residents will need an address in the West of England and a digital photo to apply. Under 18s will require additional ID.

Every resident in the West of England is being offered free bus travel throughout the whole month of their birthday thanks to an innovative initiative from Labour Mayor Dan Norris.

Whether you use your Birthday Bus pass for the daily commute or a weekend trip out, it will be a help during the difficult cost-of-living crisis. The scheme is also designed to assist in the region's wider ambition to grow bus passenger numbers and cut carbon emissions.

It is hoped Birthday Buses will act as a catalyst for bus travel in the West of England and North Somerset regions to boost the number of passengers and, with a whole month of free travel, encourage a long-term shift in travel behaviour.

Mayor Dan Norris said: "I hope Birthday Buses encourage new people to hop on the bus and try it out - perhaps for a regular commute, to go to the shops, a restaurant, or to spend their weekends enjoying the amazing attractions and great beauty of our region. If you try it, I think you might like it. Maybe even grow to love it! We really need more people using buses to cut congestion, pollution and noise - and meet our important and very ambitious 2030 net-zero targets. I hope this will also be a help to residents during this unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. So please sign up today for your free Birthday Bus pass."

"We can't keep trying the same things on buses and hoping for different outcomes by magic. What's great about Birthday Buses is it's innovative and new. It's about growing passenger numbers so that we can have a sustainable bus network. It's also helpful for data collection so we can track which new passengers are using buses, how many people make a switch, and long-term changes in bus use. This in turn will assist in attracting even more passengers so as to make further improvements to the bus network."

The Mayor also explained how the scheme has been widely backed by transport experts including BusUsersUK saying Birthday Buses was "putting us on the map and making the West of England the envy of the country."

As well as being a great birthday gift, it is hoped the £8 million birthday bus scheme will mitigate the economic impact of congestion which costs the West of England £300 million a year and, sadly, is responsible for around 300 early deaths a year.