Newcastle Youth Council is urging people in the city (young and older) to add their voice to a national campaign for affordable bus fares for young people.
The cheaper bus fares for young people “e-petition” calls on the Government to answer young people’s concerns about the cost of bus travel. If 100,000 people put their names to it (which can only be done online), the Government will have to consider debating the matter in Parliament.
Reducing the cost of transport for young people will mean more of our region’s 16-19 year olds taking up available education, training and employment as well as easier access to a more diverse range of cultural experiences and opportunities. A lack of investment in the future of our youth, their aspirations and their opportunities needs to be discussed at a national level and given the importance it deserves.
Bus operators in this region need to act now however … well before the petition gets its 100,000 signatures. They need to work together to ensure young people in education, training, employment or recognised schemes get affordable bus travel. They need to ensure pricing is easily understood, consistent from operator to operator and from area to area. Nexus offer potential 50% fare reductions on Metro transport throughout the North East. We need to hear from bus companies why they are not offering the same.
If you are a young person who has complaints about transport, get in touch with us. We need to hear from you most of all. Get your voice heard. Email newcastle.youthcouncil@children-ne.org.uk
The wording of that petition in full
This petition calls on the UK Government to address the concerns of young people about expensive bus fares, following the British Youth Council campaign and the UK Youth Parliament’s debate in the House of Commons Chamber based on a ballot of 65,000 young people across the UK.
Young people across the UK currently face a postcode lottery of expensive bus fares - many of us don’t receive concessionary fares and the age to be eligible for child fares varies. On top of this, many existing concessionary schemes for young people are being cut.
We need the UK Government to work with bus providers, transport authorities and local authorities to make sure that there are cheaper bus fares for young people, concessionary schemes, and standardised child fares for those aged 16 and under.
We need to make sure bus fares don’t affect our ability to get to college or get a job. Our generation can’t afford to miss out on opportunities because bus fares are too expensive.
More details about what happens to petitions which get 100,000 signatures can be found here
Visit the Youth Council’s Facebook page here.