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Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Free bus passes should be given to all under 22-year-olds in England, MPs say
In a new report today, the Commons Transport Committee said giving free bus passes to all under 22-year-olds would improve young people's access to 'work and skills opportunities' Under 22-year-olds across England should be given free bus passes to help improve life chances, MPs have said. In a new report today, the Commons Transport Committee said the move would improve young people's access to "work and skills opportunities". Scotland already has free bus travel for under-22s while Wales offers young people a one-third discount on bus fares. Parts of England offer discounted travel for young people, such as London, But in its report the Committee said: "England's patchwork of local youth concessions contrasts with national schemes in Scotland and Wales. A coherent national approach to ensure fair access across England is essential if the Government is serious about driving economic growth, which depends on removing barriers to education, training, and employment for the next generation." It comes after Gordon Brown hit out at the return of 'poverty of 60 years ago' with one big demand. READ MORE: UK-France small boats returns deal - all you need to know as new details released The MPs said the government should "consider piloting a free bus pass for under-22s, valid for travel at any time of the day". The Committee also said buses remain the most used form of public transport in England. This is despite a "significant decline" in local bus networks over the last decade - leaving many without access to reliable services. They cited Department for Transport figures showing the number of bus journeys taken in England outside of London fell from 4.6 billion in 2009 to 3.6 billion in 2024. 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. "We call for a universal, free bus pass for all under-22s to equalise opportunity. While the bus fare caps have been beneficial, the government has yet to spell out a coherent strategy of what they aim to achieve, and whether more targeted options could produce better outcomes. "While the government's Bus Services Bill contains positive ideas, the Transport Committee's report says ministers should go further to get bums back on seats." A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said: 'After decades of decline, we're providing a record £1billion in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country. 'Our landmark Bus Services Bill will protect routes and prevent services from being scrapped – bringing buses back into local control and will put passengers at the heart of services. "We have also stepped in to prevent a fare hike for passengers by extending the £3 fare cap until March 2027. Better buses are central to the Government's Plan for Change— connecting communities, strengthening the local economy, and boosting access to jobs.'
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Under-22s in England should get free bus travel to access work and training, MPs say
People under the age of 22 should get free bus travel to help them access work and training in otherwise cut-off communities, a committee of MPs has said, urging ministers to show more ambition to reverse a long-term decline in bus travel. Plans to devolve powers over bus services to local transport authorities are welcome but are not enough on their own to make bus services more reliable in smaller towns and rural areas, according to the report by the cross-party Commons transport committee. Pointing to a 20% fall in passenger numbers across England since 2009, and an 18% drop in the number of routes outside cities since Covid, the report cited evidence that more than half of small towns were now effectively 'transport deserts' for those without a car. Its recommendations includ that the already-existing English national concessionary travel scheme, which gives free bus travel to retired people and people with certain disabilities, should be extended to anyone aged under 22, at any time of the day, starting with a pilot scheme. 'This would support access to work and skills opportunities for younger people and help embed long-term public transport use,' it said. Last year, the Department for Transport (DfT) promised a 'bus revolution' across England, with local transport authorities allowed to run and control bus services, as is already the case in London and Greater Manchester. The committee acknowledged that this would help provide locally-suitable policies, but warned that it would probably have a limited effect in addressing disparities in bus services, with areas outside cities unlikely to be able to make significant improvements. 'There is no consensus that structural reform alone can achieve aims such as increased connectivity, better integration and more affordable journeys,' the report concluded. It said ministers should make sure all local transport authorities that run bus services offered minimum service levels by the end of this parliament, helped by guaranteed long-term funding, including multiyear settlements for bus services. Other recommendations included a possible rural weighting for bus funding, and minimum standards for bus stops, including real-time information about the next services. Ministers should, in the next 18 months, set out a national policy for buses in England – transport is a devolved policy – with 'a clear vision for what a successful bus network looks like and what it should achieve', the committee said. A DfT spokesperson said: 'After decades of decline, we're providing a record £1bn in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country. 'Our landmark bus services bill will protect routes and prevent services from being scrapped, bringing buses back into local control, and will put passengers at the heart of services. We have also stepped in to prevent a fare hike for passengers by extending the £3 fare cap until March 2027.'
