FIRST York has launched a campaign to encourage passengers to take their rubbish with them after noticing an increase in littering on its buses.

The bus operator says it is spending up to 25 minutes removing rubbish from every bus each evening, and is urging customers to think before they litter.

Marc Bichtemann, managing director at First York, said: “Operating a reliable and value for money service is our highest priority, but we also want to ensure that the on-board experience is pleasant for our customers and that the vehicles are clean and welcoming.

“We have noticed an increase in customers leaving rubbish on board buses and we have therefore launched a campaign to encourage people to take their rubbish away with them and to leave the bus tidy.

“We have regular requests for larger litter bins on board our buses and we have taken this feedback on board and are now working with the manufacturers of our new buses, to ensure we have larger litter bins that are more visible.”