Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Rejected
Pilot a free bus pass for under-22s to support access to work and skills.
Recommendation
The Department’s review of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme should consider piloting a free bus pass for under-22s, valid for travel at any time of day. This would support access to work and skills opportunities for younger people and help embed long-term public transport use. (Recommendation, Paragraph 99) A role for alternative service models
Government Response Summary
The government rejects piloting a free bus pass for under-22s, citing unaffordability within the current spending review period and the belief that local leaders are best placed to make such decisions. It will gather learning from existing schemes and Transport Scotland to inform preparations for future Spending Reviews.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government recognises the benefits that free travel for under-22s could bring. However, we are operating in a challenging fiscal environment and the future funding for bus services has already been allocated through the Spending Review, with no funding available for such a scheme. Expanding concessionary travel would therefore be unaffordable within this SR period without diverting funding away from maintaining current bus service levels. As with the model of bus service delivery more widely, we believe local leaders are best placed to decide on the measures which will work best in their local area. This enables local leaders to take a local approach, allowing them to target measures most appropriate for the demographic in their area. We shall continue to liaise with our colleagues at Transport Scotland to better understand the outcomes from their Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme. We are also aware of several local schemes which currently offer or have offered youth concessions for various age groups, such as those in London, Manchester, South Yorkshire and the West of England, and will seek key learnings from relevant local authorities. We will use this learning to inform our preparations for future Spending Reviews.