GET on the buses for free thanks to Southampton's newest transport service and the Daily Echo.

The brand new bright yellow City Clipper vehicles have hit the road, taking a circular route around the city centre every 15 minutes.

Buses travel clockwise and anticlockwise around a circuit designed to suit workers, residents, students and tourists.

Echo readers can travel free for the first week by using the voucher printed in today's Daily Echo.

As well as stops near major office and housing developments, and the city centre's museums, shops, hotels, and leisure and education facilities, the bus takes passengers straight to other transport links.

Connections There are stops by Southampton Central railway station, the coach station and connections to other bus routes.

City Clipper is the result of a partnership between Ocean Link (Southampton) and Princess Coaches, and is aiming to fill a hole in the market.

Nick Farthing, managing director of Ocean Link, believes the circular route is something that the city has been crying out for. With tickets at just £2 for all-day travel or £1 for a single ticket, he hopes it might help ease Southampton's congestion and parking problems.

"I've been approached by so many businesses and the colleges asking me to set something like this up, so we want to plug that gap and make a real difference," he said. "It's amazing - everyone around the city has wanted to make this work, and our drivers have been chosen as they are very professional people who want to make a difference and be ambassadors for the city."