Young people should be offered bus fares which are free or set at low, flat rates, according to new research. A paper written by the University of the West of England and national charity Sustrans is calling for 'not fair' bus services for young people in the United Kingdom to be reformed.
The paper says that people aged 16-24 use buses far more than older age groups and have less access to cars, but they face a "postcode lottery" in accessing free and discounted bus fares. In Scotland, people under 22 years old are eligible for bus travel, while there are greater discounts for young people in some parts of England than there are in others.
And according to the researchers, costly bus travel is harming the life chances of young people by reducing opportunities to access education, training and employment. And they are calling for national governments in the United Kingdom to set out a minimum offer for young people aged up to 25 and to support local transport authorities to move towards this.
