Beginning on Monday 1st February, anyone attending appointments at local Covid-19 vaccination centres in the coming months will be able to travel free on public buses and inter-island ferries.
Free travel will also be extended to any accompanying escorts, and travel on inter-island ferries will also include free passage for any cars.
Travellers should state their journey purpose to the bus driver or ferry crew when boarding the bus or ferry. On inter-island ferries, ferry crew will record passengers names but this will not be necessary on buses.
If taking a car, travellers should book ferries in advance where possible. If an appointment is at short notice and booking can’t be made by the normal deadlines then travel will not be denied if space is available on the ferry.
A free return shuttle bus will operate from the Viking Bus Station to the vaccination centre at the Independent Living Centre at Gremista. The first bus will depart the Viking Bus Station at 12.50pm on Monday and depart every 30 minutes thereafter, at ten minutes to and twenty minutes past each hour, with the last departure at 4.20pm. From Tuesday onwards, buses will depart the Viking Bus Station at 9.50am and every 30 minutes thereafter, with the last departure at 3.20pm.
Passengers on this shuttle bus will need to wear a face covering and use socially distanced seating. The bus will be cleaned between journeys.
These arrangements will continue as long as the vaccination programme is in place, subject to any changes that may be required.