NEW MAYOR’S FIRST ACT? FREE TRAVEL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Greater Manchester’s newly-elected Mayor, Bev Craig, used her very first day in office to make a promise to young people – and Youth Leads UK was there to hear it firsthand.

On Monday 3 August, just days after being elected, Bev Craig announced that free bus travel on the Bee Network will be extended to 11 to 16-year-olds from January 2027, building on the success of the Our Pass scheme already used by over 50,000 16-18-year-olds. Up to 200,000 young people stand to benefit, saving families as much as £500 a year per child.

For an organisation built on the belief that young people should never be priced out of opportunity, this is a policy close to our hearts. Transport is one of the barriers that keeps young people from education, training, jobs and simply being part of their community – and removing it, from age 11, is a serious statement of intent from a Mayor only days into the job.

Youth Leads UK was proud to be front and centre at the launch, with Bev taking the time to speak directly with a number of our young people about what the change will mean for them.

Imaan from Bolton welcomed the announcement saying it would help “young people focus on education and having fun”, while another young person said the plans would help their mental health:

“This bus pass will help me out a lot. I find it hard going to places because of the cost so this will help my mental health a lot.”

Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“During my campaign I promised that I would apply a simple test to every decision I take as Mayor – will it make life better for the people of Greater Manchester? That’s why on day one I’m announcing the extension of Our Pass to give free bus travel to 11 to 16-year-olds. This is exactly the kind of decision that passes our test.

“It will put more money in the pockets of thousands of hard-working families and gives young people a ticket to all the brilliant opportunities our city region offers.”

Saeed Atcha MBE DL, CEO of Youth Leads UK, said:

“For too many of the young people we work with, the price of a bus fare has been the difference between staying home and being an active citizen. To see the Mayor choose this as her very first act, and to spend that first day listening to young people directly, tells us she understands that opportunity has to be reachable, literally as well as figuratively. We’ll be right there with her to make sure it delivers for the young people who need it most.”

The extension builds on Our Pass, introduced in 2019, and means that for the first time, every child aged 11 to 18 in Greater Manchester will be able to travel for free on the region’s buses. Applications will open later this year, giving families time to prepare ahead of the January 2027 launch.

Image credits: Transport for Greater Manchester, Manchester Evening News & Youth Leads UK