Kids go free on the West’s buses
That’s summer sorted. Children and young people under the age of 16 are set to be able to travel for free on buses across our region during the school holidays, thanks to new investment proposed by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Around 150,000 kids in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire aged from 5-15 years old could benefit from free bus travel this summer – just by hopping on board, with no bus pass or registration required.
Pupils from Perry Court E-ACT Academy and local council leaders marked that news with the new Mayor of the West of England at one of the most popular free playparks in the south of England.
Just over a month after being elected as Mayor, Helen Godwin announced plans for this one-of-a-kind move for the region during an event at Hengrove Play Park in south Bristol on Monday, 9 June.
Bath Bus Company, First Bus, Stagecoach, and the Big Lemon were also part of the landmark announcement, which featured one of the hundreds of new zero-emission electric buses that will transform bus passengers’ journeys in the West over coming months and years following the electrification of First Bus’ Hengrove bus depot.
These plans are hot-on-the-heels of last month’s extension of free bus travel – all-year-round – for care leavers across the West aged up to and including 25 years old. It also follows news last week that the West of England is set to receive a record £752 million of transport funding for better buses, more trains, and mass transit, which was welcomed by local leaders across our region last week.
Families across the West can already look forward to dozens of free activities over the summer – with a list set to be compiled on the Travelwest website in due course by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, working with Visit West and local councils, alongside handy journey planning information.
Together, we are building the kind of bus service that local people deserve. Our £1 child fare is already one of the cheapest tickets in the whole country but, ideally, children and young people should be able to travel by bus for free.
Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England
It’s right that we help people save money and encourage greener travel, and this scheme would do just that. With free travel for 150,000 kids, local families will more easily have busloads of fun during the school holidays.
This is just the start for a new chapter for the West of England. As well as helping people have a great time over the summer, our first steps on transport should help inspire the next generation of bus passengers.”
Raya, Head Girl at Perry Court E-ACT Academy, said:
“This is brilliant! I don’t live that close to my friends – so I will be able to meet up with them more often. Also, I can go into town and get stuff for secondary school in September.”
Cyrus, Head Boy at Perry Court E-ACT Academy, said:
“This is really helpful as I have a lot of brothers and sisters, but it costs a lot to use the bus – so my mum will find this really helpful! My Grandad can use his bus pass, and I can go with him for free into town. Also, it’s better for the environment for us all to use the bus rather than lots of cars.”
Kate Marsh, Head teacher of Perry Court E-ACT Academy, said:
“Many of our families rely on public transport but the holidays can be very costly. Knowing that their children will travel for free during this time opens up a lot more options to them – visiting parks, family, museums, events and seeing friends across the city will allow our children to experience more of where they live and increase their cultural capital while away from school. This will help with mental wellbeing as well as a benefit for their education. What a fantastic scheme for the children and families of the city and surrounding area.”
School holidays are an expensive time of year for all families and this great initiative will not only help with the cost-of-living but also encourage local families to get out and explore our region’s amazing attractions, like the Roman Baths, which is free for B&NES residents who are Discovery Card holders, as well our historic cities, market towns, free parks, and the nature-rich countryside we are fortunate to have right across the West of England. I hope many families will hop on the bus this summer and explore places that are literally on their own doorstep with the kids going for free. Adults can also make the most of some of the lowest fares in the country following the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council work with First Bus to keep fares for most passengers 20 per cent lower than the government’s £3 cap.
Councillor Sarah Warren, the Deputy Leader of Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) Council
We fully support this new initiative and welcome the effort put in by Helen and her team to work with bus operators and other partners to make this happen. The cost of transport is a major challenge for families and young people looking to explore our city and region and can act as a barrier to seeking out new opportunities. We want to continue to work with the Mayoral Combined Authority to find new ways of increasing mobility across the city, especially where we can make active and public transport more accessible. With so many events and activities happening across Bristol this summer, most of which you can access via our Your Holiday Hub website, this initiative will help make accessing these opportunities much easier for households across our city.
Councillor Tony Dyer, the Leader of Bristol City Council,
Our brilliant kids go free offer over the summer holidays is what practical progress looks like – putting families first, cutting costs, and giving every child the freedom to explore North Somerset and beyond. It’s more than free bus travel, it’s a ticket to opportunity, connection and a greener future.
Councillor Mike Bell, the Leader of North Somerset Council, said:
“We’re delighted to be able to offer free bus travel for children in the West of England over the summer school holidays. We want to give young people the opportunity to explore the region and enjoy all that it has to offer and remain connected to their friends, families and communities. Offering free bus travel will also hopefully mean fewer journeys are made by car which in turn helps reduce congestion and improve air quality.
Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:
The school holidays are due to start on 19 July. The proposed free travel offer would run from then until 5 September (to cover varying INSET days) across the West of England and North Somerset during the same period on all registered commercial and supported bus services starting in those areas, with limited exemptions to be set out in due course on the Travelwest website – e.g. for airport services.
Travel for children and young people aged from five to 15 years old, inclusive, is currently capped at £1 per journey. Children under five years of age already travel for free on the majority of services in the West of England.
Today’s announcement is subject to the completion of the final approvals process as agreed and delegated by committee in January 2025.
The proposed package is set to be funded using some of the £13.5 million of Bus Grant funding secured from the Department for Transport by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Original post by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority
