As you may have seen in the news, MPs are recommending free bus passes for under 22s to help young people meet the cost of travelling to and from their place of work, training or education.
A recent transport committee report has found that the life chances of this age group are being constrained because of high fares and limited bus services, especially in some rural areas.
Under 22s include apprentices who, although sometimes eligible for local travel concessionary schemes, must pay their own way to get to and from work, college or university.
Transport Committee members are calling on the government for a more ‘coherent national approach’ to local youth travel concessions in England, making access to work, training and education fairer and driving economic growth and equal opportunity. To this end, they have asked the Department for Transport (DfT) to consider piloting a free bus pass for under-22s, valid for travel at any time of day.
If taken up, this would bring England’s youth travel concessions into line with those in Scotland, where all young residents aged from five to 21 can access free bus travel.
Transport Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury MP said buses were fundamental to many people’s quality of life, including younger people.
She added: “The DfT should change the way funding is provided to ensure councils and bus firms would be committed to running socially necessary services, and, on that basis, should also adopt an ambition for all councils to develop and maintain a minimum level of public transport connectivity. To achieve this the sector will need greater financial certainty, which is why we say the Government should announce funding in five-year blocks.
“Those most affected by unreliable or even non-existent buses include the young, who need them to get to school, college, university and their first jobs. Denying young people these experiences deny them their life chances. We call for a universal, free bus pass for all under-22s to equalise opportunity.”
Current travel concessions for apprentices
As the committee’s report highlights, England’s current local youth travel concessions are ‘a patchwork’ with what’s available very much dependent on whereabouts in the country an apprentice lives.
Unsurprisingly, commuting by bus is generally more convenient and cheaper for learners in the bigger cities where public transport is better integrated and services are regular and reliable.
Transport for West Midlands, (TfWM) for example, offers discounted travel on its buses, trams and trains for up to three months after an apprentice begins their training. Workwise Scheme applicants must live or work in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall or Wolverhampton, are about to start, or have just started, a job or apprenticeship earning £30,000 a year or less, be 16 or over, pay full adult bus fare, and not be receiving travel support through another programme.
For apprentices in the capital, there’s Transport for London’s Apprentice Oyster photocard which can be used across TFL’s bus, tram and tube network. This card is specifically for apprentices who are 18 or over, living in a London borough and are in their first year of an apprenticeship.
Elsewhere in England, initiatives vary, although several bus companies offer discounted travel via the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). And coach and bus operators such as National Express and Centrebus also give discounts to holders of TOTUM, formerly the NUS Extra card, which is open to apprentices as well as students.
For younger people who regularly take the train, there’s the 16-25 Railcard. It costs £35 for one year and saves card holders a third off rail journeys anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales.
Factoring in apprentices travel time and cost
It’s a condition of their training programme that apprentices must be able to travel to and from their place of work and training provider and cover their own transport costs. To see if getting to work and college is a realistic proposition, the government’s Apprenticeships website gives estimated travel from home times for all of its advertised roles.
Some learners may be fortunate enough to live on a good public transport route or within walking or cycling distance of their employer’s premises. Many don’t though, so factoring in how they’ll get to work, and college is essential. Assisting with travel expenses or offering lifts is entirely at the employer’s discretion, although some will help out, so the apprentice gets to work on time, particularly where public transport is unreliable.
There’s so much to think about when looking for an apprenticeship and the travel logistics shouldn’t be overlooked. Employers, training providers and, indeed, the government, are keen that young people don’t miss out on valuable skills training, though, so hopefully free or cheaper fares and improved bus services will form part of a wider strategy for growing the economy.
How Onefile can help
At Onefile we’re here to lighten the apprentices’ load in whatever way we can. Commuting can eat into study and work time, but our software lets apprentices learn on the go. Its many functions also take some of the graft out of studying and revising so learners will be able to make better use of their off-the-job training hours.
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