Green Party calls for under-22s to get free bus passes

The Green Party is calling for free bus passes for everyone under the age of 22 in England to make it easier for them to travel for work and education.

The party said the policy would be self-financing because increased use of buses benefitted the economy.

However, the government rejected the idea last year, saying it was currently unaffordable without diverting funding away from maintaining current service levels.

Bus travel has been free for under-22s in Scotland since 2022, while in London children can travel for free on buses, with discounted rates for some 18-25-year-olds.

Some bus companies in England also offer discounted rates for young people.

As well as helping young people access education, training and jobs, the Green Party said free bus travel would also improve access to services in rural areas, reduce car congestion and carbon emissions.

The party pointed to research by consultancy KPMG estimating that bus passengers spend £39.1bn annually in local businesses and that over 2.2 million commuters rely on buses to get to work, generating £72bn in collective income each year.

The analysis suggested that every £1 invested in bus services would yield an economic benefit ranging from £4.55 to £5.

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."

He added: "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 party is also promising to abolish the current time restrictions on the disabled person's bus pass, making it valid 24 hours a day, and guaranteeing to keep free travel for older people with extended hours.

Buses are the most commonly used form of public transport in England, but the number of journeys has fallen over the last 10 years and has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

In the year to March 2025, there were 3.7 billion local bus journeys in England, down from more than four billion pre-Covid.

Those aged 17 to 20 made the highest number of local bus trips per person.

Last year, MPs on the Commons Transport Committee also called for under-22s in England to get free bus passes.

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