Care leavers are expected to benefit from free bus travel, Brighton and Hove City Council said today (Tuesday 24 March) while free travel for under-19s would be extended.
The council said: “Around 200 young people leaving care will receive free bus travel as part of new fare offers designed to help city families and young people get to school, education or employment.
“Care leavers living in Brighton and Hove aged between 18 and 25 will travel by bus for free from September.
“As part of our drive to keep fares affordable, we’ll also again be funding free bus travel for under 19s travelling with a fare-paying adult and exploring future options for discounted bus fares for children receiving free school meals.
“We’ll be spending around £1.4 million in 2026-27 on making bus fares more affordable thanks to funding from the Department for Transport’s Local Authority Bus Grant.”
As well as free travel for care leavers, the council said that under 19s taking advantage of free travel locally had made more than three million journeys since the offer was introduced in 2023.
And a further million free journeys are expected to be made this year, the council said.
The council added: “This summer, a targeted £1 short-hop fare will be introduced in areas of the city where support is needed most.
“We’ll continue to support the Breeze Up to the Downs services, linking people with the South Downs.
“In‑person Travel Shop city saver tickets will continue to match online prices so that digital exclusion does not prevent anyone from accessing bus travel at a fair cost.
“These offers are in addition to the more than £10 million we’ll be spending again on providing free travel for people with older and disabled person’s bus passes, funded by surplus from council fees and charges.
“As part of the changes, the city wide short-hop, medium journey and the off-peak under-19s fares will revert to prices set by bus companies after the Easter holidays on Monday 13 April.”
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said: “Keeping bus fares free for young people means travel stays affordable for parents and carers.
“This is so important for making sure children are getting to school which leads to better outcomes all round.
“From next year, I’m confident we’ll also have systems in place be able to offer discounted travel to children who qualify for free school meals.
“I’m so pleased we’re going to be making bus travel free for care leavers. Leaving the care system brings so many challenges for young people.
“And as corporate parents we must keep striving to provide the best possible support and transition into adulthood.
“We are putting our values into action in deciding how to use the funding we have for fare offers and by prioritising our support to get young people to education and work we are building a better Brighton and Hove for all.”
This is a kind and public spirited move. Well done, whomever came up with this.