New data: kids’ bus journeys double during Kids Go Free
Figures from First Bus show which areas across the West of England saw the largest increases in children and young people getting the bus last summer, compared to the year before. Many places saw the numbers of kids’ journeys more than double during the summer, year-on-year.
The nationally unique Kids Go Free offer, which, by design, required no registration or bus pass to maximise uptake, succeeded across the West, with a disproportionately high uplift in lower-income communities. The statistics show that the number of under-16s travelling by bus from those areas last summer – where some families often cannot afford to travel, preventing them from accessing free cultural experiences on offer in the West’s villages, towns, and cities – essentially doubled compared to the previous year.
The new data indicates that the areas in the West where families have incomes among the lowest 10% in the country saw the largest increases (+98% on average) in bus travel by children and young people in summer 2025 compared to the same time in 2024. In areas where families have among the lowest 30% of incomes in the country, the data showed an 89% rise while Kids Go Free first ran. Disproportionate increases in under-16s taking the bus last summer were measured in the council wards including:
- Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
- Filwood
- Hartcliffe and Withywood
- Henbury and Brenty
- Hengrove and Whitchurch Park
- Kingswood
- Lockleaze
- Twerton and Whiteway
- Staple Hill
- Warmley
- Weston-super-Mare Central
- Weston-super-Mare South
- Woodstock
In January, council leaders and the Mayor approved allocating £9.9 million (23%) of the region’s £42.4 million three-year Bus Grant towards fares and ticketing initiatives, such as Kids Go Free, to further embed sustainable travel choices for people and support families – in line with joint commitments through the Growth Strategy and Child Poverty Action Plan. £28.2 million (66%) of the funding was allocated to bus services, including supported services, with a further £1 million to improve passenger experience through investment in real time information improvements and safety initiatives, particularly for women and girls.
After nearly 1.1 million free journeys in total over nine weeks, including through the Christmas school holidays offer launched by the Mayor and Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council at Bath Christmas Market, parents and carers have already saved around £1.1 million. Families will be looking out for an announcement about the Easter school holidays over the coming weeks.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“Universal, easy-to-use services usually have the biggest benefit for communities where cash is tight. Kids Go Free has proved no exception to that rule and I’m sure will continue to be a success. This is a progressive policy, driving real change that families can see and feel, and something that we can all be proud of as we look ahead to the Easter school holidays. These latest remarkable figures show that the number of children and young people enjoying getting around the West by bus, sometimes for the first time, often doubled year-on-year in the places where people benefit most from free bus travel.”
Councillor Kevin Guy, Deputy Mayor and Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:
“Kids Go Free has made a real difference to families across Bath & North East Somerset. Over the summer, thousands more free journeys were taken by children helping to drive a significant rise in under 16s using the bus during the school holidays.
“This has given more young people the opportunity to get out and explore their local area, accessing opportunities that might not have been possible without this support.”
Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said:
“These figures show just how transformative initiatives like Kids Go Free can be for families across Bristol. Seeing some journey numbers double highlights the positive impact of removing cost as a barrier to travel for young people and once again underscores what can be achieved through sustained investment into our city’s bus network.
“We’re determined to build on this success with our regional partners and the Mayoral Combined Authority and look forward to providing even more residents with modern, affordable and accessible travel across Bristol and the West of England.”
Councillor Hugh Malyan, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, said:
“These figures show the strong demand for affordable, accessible public transport. By removing the cost barrier for children, we have supported families, cut congestion, and helped young people build lifelong sustainable travel habits.”
Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:
“We’re pleased to see a significant increase in the number of bus journeys and that so many local children have benefitted from this initiative. Our goal now is to go further, increasing the number of bus routes available and improving coverage so even more children can benefit.”
Rob Pymm, Commercial Director of First Bus Wales & West, said:
“It’s great that so many young people have benefited from Kids Go Free, both in the summer and more recently over the Christmas period, and that it was really popular in all corners of the region. Encouraging bus use at an early age is a great way of creating lifetime habits and we’re pleased to play our part in supporting this fantastic scheme.”
The Brigstow Institute at the University of Bristol and Room 13 Hareclive, who have long campaigned for free bus travel for children, are currently further researching the impact of Kids Go Free in lower-income communities, including Hartcliffe and Barton Hill, after conducting surveys for children, young people, and parents and carers.
Ingrid Skeels from Room 13 Hareclive said:
“Over Room 13’s 22 years, the cost of bus travel has been a major barrier to children going to places outside of Hartcliffe and accessing all our city has to offer: parks and green spaces, learning, history, art and culture, friends and family in other neighbourhoods, free events… the list of what they miss out on is long. Thanks to Kids Go Free, this started to change last summer and Christmas. New places, life experiences and opportunities opened up and – as Room 13 children have long called for this – there was also excitement and pride that their voices were heard. Please don’t stop now! Free travel has the life changing power to unlock so much opportunity for children facing huge inequality.”
Over the coming weeks, the regional authority is set to invite people to have their say on its developing Bus Plan – to enable councils, bus operators, and communities to work together to build a bus network that people can rely on. Better buses are a key area of focus for the West, earmarked as a priority for the record £752 million of transport investment from government secured last year. The Transport Vision published last month by the Mayor and council leaders set out an ambition for reliable, affordable services with one ticket and one timetable, alongside improvements to the growing regional rail network, mass transit plans, safer active travel, and improved streets.
During the summer and Christmas school holidays, Kids Go Free was funded using some of the £13.5 million Bus Grant funding secured from the Department for Transport by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. Around 150,000 children and young people living in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire were able to take up the offer – opening the door to all of the brilliant things that our part of the world offers, in some cases for the first ever time.
Original press release by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority
