Nakedbus offers free buses to MPs to cut taxpayer-funded travel perks
From tomorrow [Saturday 1 May 2010] all MPs will be able to travel free-of-charge on any nakedbus route.
Frustrated with ongoing media reports about taxpayer-funded travel perks for MPs, nakedbus.com CEO Hamish Nuttall says he’s dipping into his own pocket.
“If we offer MPs free travel on our buses, there’s no excuse for charging the taxpayer for domestic trips, ” protests Mr
Nuttall.
According to Parliamentary Service data, ministers claimed a total of $39,292 in air travel expenses in the first three
months of this year.
“It’s interesting that the largest amount claimed was by Environment Minister Nick Smith. One would think that he (of
all people) would know there are cheaper and more environmentally-friendly ways of travelling”
Recent research shows that buses are the lowest CO2 emitting vehicles on the road and they use less than ten percent of
the fuel a plane uses to transport each passenger.
“Planes emit six times more CO2 than buses… if only half of MPs take our offer up it would make a considerable impact on
our environment.”
Any MPs wishing to travel with nakedbus for free can email help@nakedbus.com from a parliamentary email address. Interested MPs will be issued their own personal promotional code which they can
use day or night to make travel bookings online.
“It’ll be very interesting to see who takes our offer up… we travel to 320 towns and cities around the country (which
is 13 times the areas serviced by airlines) so there are no excuses,” grins Mr Nuttall.
ENDS