Evelyn Tweed MSP for Stirling has welcomed the start of a new free bus travel scheme which allows anyone under the age of 22 to travel for free.
The scheme, which went live on Monday (31st Jan), is open to children and young people with a new National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC.
There are an estimated 18,800 young people in Stirling who will benefit, and tens of thousands across Scotland have already applied and received their card.
This extension of free bus travel now means that over 2.3 million people – everyone under 22, everyone over 60, and disabled people and carers – can now benefit from travelling free in Scotland by bus.
Evelyn Tweed MSP for Stirling said: “I am thrilled that nearly 19,000 young people in this constituency now have access to a scheme which has potential to transform bus travel and improve the lives of many children, young people and families.
“Extending free bus travel helps connects more people to education, leisure, and work opportunities. It also allows people to make a choice to travel sustainably, which we know is something young people care about.
“Increasing bus use will also help us reach our world-leading goal of cutting the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2045.”
The Young Persons’ Free Travel Scheme is administered in partnership with the Improvement Service, the National Entitlement Card Programme Office and Young Scot. Applications remain open for children and young people to get their new or replacement National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC which is required to use the scheme.
The scheme has been opened to all eligible young people to apply since 10 January. However, messaging since then had focused on young people with essential need to travel to apply, aligning with COVID-19 guidance at the same time.
With restrictions now easing, the expectation is that all young people can and will apply and the scheme will be promoted more widely in the coming weeks.