Adult care leavers given free bus travel by council

Adult care leavers aged 18 to 25 will be entitled to free bus travel under a new scheme being introduced by a council.

Hertfordshire County Council announced it would provide free Intalink Connect tickets to eligible adults, which will enable unlimited travel on all buses in the county.

The authority said about 1,000 people were expected to benefit from the year-long trial that begins in March.

Steve Jarvis, a Liberal Democrat councillor and leader of the authority, said: "Every young person, whether they are care experienced or not, deserves every chance to thrive."

Councillors said care leavers would also be able to get a reimbursement on their council tax until the age of 25, after previously only being able to until the age of 21.

Hertfordshire County Council said it would fund the scheme with some of the £12.2m it received from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve and support local bus services.

Jarvis added: "Free bus travel [opens] up opportunities for work, education and connection, and helping young people build the confident, independent futures they deserve."

Children in Care Council Hertfordshire (CHICC), which is made up of groups of young people living in care, has urged the local authority to provide more support for care leavers.

A spokesperson for CHICC said: "[Free bus travel] will help us to keep our relationships, reduce our feelings of loneliness, supports us to gain employment or education and will mean we don't have to worry about the cost of our travel on already low incomes.

"We really hope that this offer extends beyond the 12-month pilot as we know what a difference this will make to us all."

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