Young Passengers Rejoice: Wales Expands £1 Bus Fare Scheme for Kids!

Wales is making waves in public transport by extending its £1 bus fare cap scheme, originally designed for 16 to 21-year-olds, to also include younger children aged 5 to 15. The new policy is set to commence in November, slightly later than the original group, following criticism that the original plan inadvertently required younger passengers to pay higher fares.

The initiative, which aims to ease the cost of travel for young individuals, was part of a budget agreement between Welsh Labour and the Welsh Liberal Democrats earlier this year. Currently, the single bus fares in key cities like Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport were positioned higher than the anticipated £1 cap for younger passengers, highlighting the potential for significant savings.

Plaid Cymru, the party that vocally opposed the initial proposal, deemed the oversight as ‘unacceptable’ and a result of a rushed budget negotiation. The pilot scheme, slated to continue until August 2026, allows 16 to 21-year-olds to benefit from the Mytravelpass, while children aged 5 to 15 can access the scheme without any pass requirement. Notably, the cost of the scheme has risen from £15 million to £22 million, bolstered by an additional £7 million from the government to ensure its implementation.

Discussions with bus companies are ongoing to ensure that these younger traveling cohorts will benefit fully from the new fare scheme.

First Minister Eluned Morgan emphasized that cutting travel costs for young people is a priority, while Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths criticized the original proposal as lacking in sufficient support for younger commuters. Meanwhile, the Welsh Conservatives advocated for more extensive measures, pushing for free bus travel for young people to enhance access to education and training opportunities.