£1 bus fares for 16 to 21-year-olds launched in Wales

A new scheme offering £1 bus travel to anyone aged between 16 and 21 has gone live across Wales.

The new Welsh Government scheme sees single fares cost just £1, with £3 unlimited travel day tickets also available.

A free travel pass will need to be presented to the bus driver for the reduced fare and these can be obtained online from mytravelpass.tfw.wales.

The £15m pilot scheme is being introduced by the Welsh Government as part of the budget deal the Welsh Government struck with Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Jane Dodds.

A further £7m will be invested from November 3, which will see the scheme extended to include anyone aged between five and 15. Existing reduced fares for children will apply until then.

As the scheme launched, Ms Dodds said: “The cost-of-living crisis has hit young people hard, but now, young people across Wales will find it easier to travel to education, meet friends, and crucially, access jobs.

“This £1 bus fare is a transformational step forward for young people.”

Lee Robinson, of Transport for Wales, said: “This pilot scheme is a significant step towards making public transport more affordable for young people in Wales.

“By reducing fares to just £1, we hope to encourage more young people to choose the bus.”

However, the Welsh Conservatives warned the scheme could be at risk of “being undermined”.

Sam Rowlands, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Following the initial announcement of the scheme earlier this year, bus operators claimed they were not adequately consulted on this and were in the dark about how the funding will be distributed.

“The Labour government must now show it has both the financial clarity and delivery plan to match its promises. If providers have not been sufficiently consulted, then the rollout of this scheme is at risk of being undermined.”