The Green Party is set to announce a bold policy later today that everyone under 22 should be able to ride the bus for free.
The push comes despite the Labour government’s U-turn on the policy last October after they found the proposed free trial for young adults was simply ‘unaffordable’.
The Party’s leader, Zack Polanski, is expected to make the announcement while on a visit to Sheffield on Saturday, arguing that free bus passes for the youngsters will make it easier for them to access work and education.
Although the Labour government rejected the suggestion put forward in the Transport Committee’s report in August, saying there was no money available for the scheme, the Green Party said the policy would be ‘self-financing’ because increased use of buses benefits the economy.
They added that free bus travel for under-22s would also improve access to services in rural areas and cut back on traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
Currently, bus travel is free for under-22s in Scotland, while in London under-18s go free on buses and there are discounted rates for some 18-25-year-olds. Individual bus companies also offer discounted rates for young people.
They pointed to research by KPMG which estimated in a report that bus passengers spend £39.1billion annually in local businesses, over 2.2million commuters use buses to get to work, which in turn generates £72billion each year in collective income.
Their analysis suggested that every £1 invested in bus services would yield an economic benefit ranging from £4.55 to £5.
Zack Polanski said the policy would be ‘self-financing’, despite the Labour government calling free bus rides for under-22s ‘unaffordable’ last year
The Green Party argued it would improve access to work and education for under-22s, especially those in rural areas
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: ‘Young people are increasingly shut out of employment and training by the cost-of-living crisis, which often hits the youngest the hardest.
‘Green councillors elected in May will be using their influence to implement this scheme in their areas and we will be applying political pressure at a national level for a scheme recommended by the transport select committee last year to be made real.
‘Free bus travel for the young is part of our mission to make hope normal again.’
The Green Party is also promising to get rid of time restrictions that are currently in place for disabled persons’ bus passes so that it would be valid 24hrs, as well as guaranteeing free travel for the elderly – also with extended hours.
In August last year, the plan for free under-22s bus travel was put forward by MPs in the Commons Transport Committee.
But the Labour government halted the go-ahead, arguing it was ‘unaffordable’ and there was no money that could be allocated to the scheme.
Responding to the government’s decision, committee chair Ruth Cadbury accused the Department for Transport of ‘lacking in ambition’.
‘Throughout our inquiry, we heard about the consequences of poor connectivity,’ Labour MP Cadbury said, according to the BBC.
Other proposals include making the disabled person’s bus pass unrestricted and extending benefits for elderly people riding buses too
‘Young people are unable to get their first jobs or take exhausting journeys to reach school or college.
‘Older and disabled people feel isolated and depressed and high streets are starved of customers.
‘It is hard to shake the feeling that an opportunity may be missed, particularly to improve services in rural and underserved communities.’
Since January 2022, everyone in Scotland aged between five and 22 has been entitled to free bus travel.
It comes as the number of bus journeys taken in England has dropped in recent years, while fares have risen faster than inflation.
Experts told the Transport Committee that the bus sector’s contribution to the economy declined by around £8.9billion between 2011 and 2023.
