Almost 45 million free bus journeys have been made since the Scottish Government introduced its free bus travel for under 22s a year ago. The overall uptake from the estimated 930,000 people eligible for the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme is currently just over 60%; the uptake for those aged 12-15 is higher at almost 70% and for those aged 16-21 the figure is higher still at 71.5%.
Scottish Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: “With almost 45 million free bus journeys made by under 22s across Scotland, this landmark Scottish Government policy is already helping young people and families with children cut the costs or everyday and leisure travel, while at the same time protecting our climate.
“To ensure as many young people as possible discover the benefits of free bus travel, we have delivered a national marketing campaign to increase awareness and to encourage more applications. I’m grateful to all our partners and local authorities for helping to encourage as many young people as possible to take advantage of this important benefit.”
