Dozens of extra enforcement and safety officers are being brought in to keep Greater Manchester's buses safe ahead of the launch of free bus passes for 11 to 16-year-olds in January.
Up to 200,000 young people will be able to apply for a bus pass when applications open on December 8, in a move expected to cost Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) up to £20m.
Safety measures on Bee Network routes
At a scrutiny meeting on Wednesday (October 28), Councillor John Leech said the scheme could cause 'the potential for some disturbance' on certain Bee Network routes.
Steve Warrener from TfGM said more travelsafe support and enforcement officers (TSEOs) are being brought in to manage the impact.
He said: "In terms of TSEOs, we have already increased the number of TSEOs just through the normal course of events, and we're looking to do that anyway.
"We've allocated at least a couple of dozen additional, or budgeted for a couple of other additional, specifically in this context, but we are continuing to increase the number of TSEOs out on the network across the whole Greater Manchester."
Education and pass removal
Mr Warrener added that TfGM was working with other organisations to make sure young people 'understand how to use a bus' ahead of the launch.
He said: "In some instances, some young people don't actually know that you have got to put your hand out when a bus is coming to ensure that it stops."
Mr Warrener also explained that people who are 'consistently misbehaving' on buses could have their pass removed.
Mayor's rationale for the scheme
The pledge to give free bus travel to 11 to 16-year-olds was one of the first moves by Bev Craig after she was elected as Greater Manchester mayor. It builds on the Our Pass scheme, which was introduced in 2019 and offers free bus travel for 16 to 18-year-olds.
Bev Craig spoke about the need for free bus travel across the region, saying one 14-year-old had missed a week of school because their parents 'couldn't afford to pay his bus fare in that week'.
The mayor added: "I have heard some people perhaps question why this might be such an issue, and during my election campaign and in the months afterwards, I have been struck by the amount of families and children that are held back by simply not having enough money in their pockets."
