MPs Urge Free Bus Passes for Under-22s Across England

England should introduce a universal free bus pass for everyone under 22 to remove cost barriers to education, training and work, the House of Commons Transport Select Committee said in a report published Wednesday. The cross-party group of MPs argued that bus fares have outpaced inflation and that patchy local concessions are widening inequality as services shrink. The committee cited Department for Transport data showing that annual bus journeys outside London have fallen to 3.6 billion from 4.6 billion since 2009, while many rural areas have lost regular services altogether. It recommended piloting an all-day, free-travel scheme for under-22s and eventually rolling it out nationwide, noting that Scotland already provides free bus travel for 5- to 22-year-olds and Wales offers a one-third discount. In a response to the report, the Department for Transport said it is investing £1 billion in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of services and has extended the nationwide £3 cap on most single fares until March 2027. The MPs urged ministers to adopt longer-term funding settlements for buses, similar to those in rail and strategic roads, to give local authorities and operators greater certainty.