Diageo sponsors free New Year’s Eve travel

Transport for London has confirmed there will be free travel on London’s tubes, buses, Tramlink and London Overground, on New Year’s Eve thanks to sponsorship from drinks giant Diageo.

The free travel will run on services from 11.45pm on New Year’s Eve until 4.30am on New Year’s Day.

Diageo will advertise across the TfL network to remind everyone to celebrate responsibly and get home safely, not only on New Year’s Eve but throughout the festive season.

Tube travellers at central London stations will also receive oyster card-holders featuring top tips from Drinkaware for a great night out in the run-up to Christmas.

Andrew Cowan, country director for Diageo GB, commented: “This is a time for great celebrations, especially after what has been a tremendous year for Great Britain. As always we want to remind everyone that the best celebrations are those that are enjoyed responsibly.

“Getting home safely is the conclusion to a great night out, and we hope our campaign this year will encourage everyone, on New Year’s Eve and throughout the festive period, not to let good times go bad by drinking too much.”

Graeme Craig, director of Commercial Development at TfL said: “We are delighted to enter our second year of sponsorship with Diageo to ensure those celebrating the end of what has been a fantastic year for the capital and seeing in the new one can get home safely. We do advise passengers to check before they travel and be aware that some buses may be on diversion due to road closures.”

This year for the first time Diageo will also be sponsoring free travel in Edinburgh for the Hogmanay celebrations. The Hogmanay event will host 80,000 partygoers, 20,000 of whom will be able to travel home free of charge on Lothian bus services.