People under the age of 22 could get free bus travel in England if new plans go ahead. The Transport Select Committee has recommended the measure, which would mirror a scheme already in place in Scotland.
The committee said free travel would improve young people’s access to “work and skills opportunities” and “help embed long-term public transport use”. Currently, England has a patchwork of local youth concessions, contrasting with national schemes in Scotland and Wales.
In Wales, 16-21 year olds get a one-third discount, and from next month can travel for £1 per journey. London offers free travel for 16 and 17-year-olds. Bus fares in England are capped at £3 until the end of 2025 for all passengers.
Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, who chairs the committee, said: “Those most affected by unreliable or even non-existent buses include the young, who need them to get to school, college, university and their first jobs. Denying young people these experiences denies them their life chances.”
The committee also called for reform of local bus service funding and a national ambition for minimum public transport connectivity. The government’s Bus Services Bill, currently in Parliament, aims to overhaul buses by giving local authorities new powers to run their own services.
