130 bus operators are to introduce a cap on adult bus fares. Here’s what young people had to say about it’s effect…
From the 1st of January to 31st of March 130 bus operators will introduce a £2 cap on adult bus fares. This is part of a government scheme to help people with the rising cost of living, but also to encourage people to use buses, which could cut carbon emissions. Find out which bus operators and routes this includes here.
We spoke to our Youth Ambassadors to see how they felt about the introduction of the cap and if they felt it would have an impact on them. One of our Youth Ambassadors said:
“I live in Leeds so this has already been introduced. A lot of people in Leeds use public transport as their main mode of travel and this helps with reducing travel costs. Alongside the city centre renovation to ‘pedestrianize’ the centre and create more efficient routes for buses, this could result in a much faster public transport service in Leeds.”
The 2022 Youth Voice Census found 33.6% rated the cost of public transport as “good” or “excellent” so this cap is welcomed. However, only 40.4% of young people through the 2022 Youth Voice Census rated reliability as “good” or “excellent.” The census also found that those who are eligible for free school meals were twice as likely to rate the availability, safety, and reliability of transport as poor.
When speaking with young people across the country in our Youth Voice Sessions earlier in the year we regularly heard concerns about the affordability, accessibility and reliability of public transport.
In Corby, young people talked about the lack of good transport links and accessibility to other towns that had the services and facilities they want, leaving them feeling isolated and ‘stuck’ where they lived.
In Newcastle, a number of young people felt that transport outside the city and to areas around the city (such as Gateshead and South Shields) was expensive and takes a long time. This was a particular concern when they were looking for employment opportunities which may require regular, reliable bus services to access.
It is good to see some action being taken to alleviate the pressures of the rising cost of living, for some young people the reduction in bus fares will be welcomed and help them to access work where they live. However, more must be done to ensure that public transport is reliable and accessible for all young people no matter where they live to ensure that they can access good opportunities locally.
