England has launched a month long free bus travel scheme for millions of children, allowing those aged five to 15 to travel at no cost on most local bus services throughout August in a major effort to ease the financial pressure on families during the school summer holidays.
The initiative forms part of the Government’s Great British Summer Savings programme, a wider package of cost of living measures designed to make family days out more affordable. Alongside free bus travel, families can also benefit from reduced prices on children’s meals, cinema and theatre tickets, and admission to many attractions across the UK through a temporary VAT reduction running until September 1.
The Department for Transport said children aged five to 15 will be able to travel free on participating local bus services across England without needing to register. Children under five already travel free under existing arrangements. With child bus fares typically costing between £1 and £2 per journey, ministers say the scheme could help families save significantly over the six week school holiday.
The Government hopes the offer will encourage families to explore more of England while supporting local tourism and hospitality businesses. Popular destinations highlighted by the Department for Transport include York Dungeon, Windsor Castle and the National Space Centre in Leicester, all of which can be reached using local bus services.
The scheme builds on successful regional programmes, including the West of England’s Kids Go Free initiative, which ministers say demonstrated how free travel can help families save money while encouraging greater use of public transport.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the measures were intended to give families relief from continuing cost of living pressures.
“We’re giving families room to breathe from the cost of living squeeze.
“With free bus travel for five to 15 year olds and discounts on kids’ meals at restaurants, cinema tickets and theme parks, we’re helping people make the most of the time they have together for the school holidays.
“Not only are we lowering costs for the summer, the £2 bus fare cap will help all passengers get to where they need to for less.”
The announcement comes ahead of the Government’s planned reintroduction of the £2 maximum single bus fare in England from the start of next year. The current fare cap stands at £3 after being increased earlier this year, with ministers saying the lower cap will provide longer term support for passengers beyond the summer holidays.
Families are being advised to check with their local bus operators before travelling, as while the scheme covers most local bus services in England, some routes and services are excluded under the terms of the offer.
