bus travel scotland under 22

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Free bus travel for under 22s

61% of young people say public transport central to combatting climate emergency.

All under 22s resident in Scotland will have access to free bus travel from 31 January 2022, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed, implementing a commitment agreed with the Scottish Green Party.

New research commissioned by Transport Scotland shows that almost two-thirds (61%) of young Scots agree that access to public transport will play a central role in the fight against climate change. 

School pupils, students and social media influencers joined the First Minister and Mr Harvie at Glasgow Caledonian University to mark COP26’s Youth and Empowerment Day on board a new, Scottish-built electric bus as she confirmed the scheme.

The change means around 930,000 young people across Scotland will benefit from free bus travel from 31 January 2022. 

Transport Scotland research showed 70% of young people indicate they would use public transport more frequently if it was free. 

The Scottish Government has committed to removing the majority of fossil fuelled buses from public transport by 2023.

A Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce has been convened which brings bus operators, the supply chain, energy companies and financiers together to co-design a pathway to a fully zero-emission bus fleet. 

Transport Scotland has made £50 million available to the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund, to further support the Scottish bus fleet to transition to zero emission.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: 

“We are committed to giving our young people the very best chances to succeed in life. The extension of free bus travel to all under 22s will improve access to education, leisure, and work, while supporting the adoption of sustainable travel behaviours early in their lives.

“COP26 must be a turning point for the world, and action must be taken if we are to ‘keep 1.5 alive’, and Governments across the world must act to support this. Adopting more sustainable travel behaviour is vital if we are to reach our world-leading goal of reducing the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2045.”

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“This transformational policy shows that our focus on tackling the climate emergency goes hand in hand with improving lives and tackling inequality. Free bus travel will open up opportunities for young people and ease pressure on family budgets while helping deliver the step-change we need to deliver on our climate commitments. 

“Children and young people travelling for free on modern, zero-carbon electric buses is another step towards the fairer, greener Scotland we are committed to building.” 

Paul Davies, President & Managing Director of Alexander Dennis said: 

“Scotland’s under 22s will have a unique opportunity to make sustainable travel choices with free bus travel across the country. COP26 is showing that future generations must be at the heart of climate policy and the Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme is an excellent example of forward-looking policy in action. “With the Scottish Government funding zero emission buses that are built right here in Scotland, young people can be sure their journeys will not only be smooth, clean and green, but will benefit communities through the skilled jobs, apprenticeship and graduate opportunities underpinned by this investment.”

Stewart (17), Young Scot volunteer on the COP26 Youth Climate Programme said: 

“Free bus travel for young people in Scotland is a fantastic way to help tackle the climate emergency – an issue that’s so important to young people as we are the generation who will be most impacted. Not only will it help to reduce our carbon emissions, but it will also support young people like me to study, socialise, get to work and make the most of their lives. It’s a win win!”

Free travel for residents of Scotland aged 5-21 will be accessed by the National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC from 31 January 2022. Information on the application process for existing cardholders and new users will be available on the Transport Scotland website in due course. Children aged 0-4 already travel for free on commercial bus services.

The scheme will be delivered by the Scottish Government in partnership with the Improvement Service, National Entitlement Card Programme Office, Young Scot, local authorities and bus operators to help Scotland reach its net zero targets by 2045.

£50.7 million was awarded in 2020 to support 272 new zero emission buses and associated infrastructure through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, with 207 of those currently being manufactured in Scotland, supporting green jobs. 

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from Censuswide. Total sample size was 501 Scottish young people aged 5-21. Fieldwork was undertaken between 1 - 5 October 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Scottish adults (aged 18+).

When surveyed on their reliance on public transport, half (50%) said they use bus services to visit friends, with two in five (38%) travelling on public transport to see family members. A third (31%) use public transport to access school, college, or university. One in four (23%) journey to work and one in five (21%) take public transport to sport or exercise facilities. 

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Free bus travel and Young Scot cards

Under 22s free bus travel scheme.

From 31 January 2022, 5-21 year olds living in Scotland for more than six months of the year will be eligible for free bus travel, regardless of nationality.

Parents or guardians of 5-15 year olds must apply on their behalf. Children under five years old already travel for free on commercial bus services across Scotland and do not need a card.

To apply, you'll need to provide  proof  of:

• you and your child’s identity 
• your address

If you are over 11, you will also need to provide a photograph.

How to apply

You can apply on the getyourNEC website .

Even if you already have a NEC or Young Scot NEC, you must apply for a new or replacement card to travel by bus for free. The free travel is not added automatically to current cards, it has to be applied for by either a parent/guardian or the young person themselves and a new card issued.

For children/young people who have an existing NEC or Young Scot NEC

All applications for free bus travel to be added to an existing card can be made on the getyourNEC website .

• children aged 5-10 must have a parent/guardian apply for their Junior NEC on their behalf, this card will not have their photograph on it
• young persons aged 11-15 will need a parent/guardian to apply for the free travel on their behalf, this card will have their photograph on it
• applying online or by phoning 0300 100 1800 and asking for the free travel to be added to a replacement card
• downloading free bus travel onto their existing card using the Transport Scot Pass Collect app, meaning they will not need a replacement card. However, if the photograph on your NEC or Young Scot NEC is no longer a true likeness of yourself, we would recommend applying for a replacement card with an updated photograph. For more information see Free Bus travel website.

How to apply for Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel on behalf of your child under 16 who already has a card:

For children/young people who do not have an existing NEC or Young Scot NEC

For any child or young person who has never had a NEC or Young Scot card they will need to apply for one to receive the free travel. Applications can be made on the getyourNEC website .

How to apply for Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel on behalf of your child:

For young people who are over 16

How to apply for Young Persons Free Bus Travel if you’re over 16:

If you do not have the required documentation or are unable to apply online, you can contact our Customer Advice and Support service by:

• email: [email protected]
• phone: 0300 100 1800

Due to the current level of enquiries and applications, it may take up to 10 working days to respond to your enquiry. Applications are currently taking up to four weeks to process, dependent on relevant checks and the photograph provided.

For more information about the scheme including frequently asked questions you can visit Free Bus travel website.

You can also find out more about free bus travel on  Border Buses website .

National Entitlement Card

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Apply for an under 22s bus pass through your council

If you cannot or do not want to apply online, or do not have the documents needed to apply online, you can apply through your local council. 

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Introduction

The Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme (also known as the Under 22s scheme) commenced on 31 January 2022. All children and young people aged 5-21 resident in Scotland (including asylum seekers and refugees) are eligible to apply.

The policy aims of the scheme are to encourage more sustainable travel behaviours and tackle issues related to transport poverty and access to services by:

• embedding positive sustainable travel behaviours;
• opening up social, education, employment and leisure opportunities; and
• reducing household outgoings to aid children, particularly those living in poverty.

Year One Evaluation

As part of the ongoing monitoring of the scheme, Transport Scotland commissioned a Year One Evaluation. The aim was to consider the short and medium term impacts and outcomes of the scheme after it had been operational for one year, and to provide insights into how the policy was working in practice.

The evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach, as follows:

• A repeat of the pre-introduction baseline survey with young people and parents/carers - referred to here as the ‘follow-up survey’, where 10,875 valid responses were received;
• Focus groups with young people, parents/carers and other bus users, involving 42 participants in total;
• A consultation-based survey with professional stakeholders; and
• Analysis of available secondary data.

This summary report collates the key findings from across all research strands. More detailed findings are presented in separate analysis reports - one dedicated to the consultation survey with professional stakeholders , and the other addressing all other research strands .

Report Presentation

Full details on the various methodologies used, sample profiles achieved, and limitations/caveats associated with the work are included in the corresponding analysis reports. The remainder of this summary report sets out the key findings as they relate to the three main policy aims.

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