The UK Government has announced a major investment in sustainable transport, launching a nationwide scheme to provide free bus travel for children throughout the month of August. The initiative is designed to encourage families to shift away from private car journeys, significantly reducing carbon emissions during the peak summer holiday season.
Backed by more than £100 million in funding, the scheme will allow every child aged five to 15 in England to enjoy unlimited, free travel on participating local bus services from 1 to 31 August. With no registration or complex ticketing required, the initiative aims to make choosing public transport the easiest and most sustainable choice for summer days out.
The national rollout follows a highly successful pilot scheme in the West of England, which demonstrated the powerful role affordable public transport plays in changing travel behaviours.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Free bus travel for every child in August means parents can plan days out, visit loved ones and make the most of the holidays without the added financial pressure.
“We’ve already seen what’s possible – in the West of England, the Mayor’s free travel scheme is making a real difference, particularly for young people in the most deprived communities. That’s exactly the kind of impact we want to deliver for families right across England this summer.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, added: “Kids Go Free in the West of England has seen around 1.4 million free journeys over the summer, Christmas, and Easter holidays since my election last year. There’s been a huge increase in public transport use through our offer already, including children and families travelling on our new green buses. Bus travel from our lowest income areas doubled year-on-year last summer, with kids able to just hop on board and no registration needed.”
By investing in bus networks, the Government is aiming to cultivate lifelong sustainable habits. Encouraging modal shift – moving journeys from private vehicles to collective public transit – is a core pillar of the UK’s longer-term environmental strategy to clean up urban air quality and achieve net-zero targets.
The funding package also includes direct support for bus operators to maintain and enhance vital routes, ensuring that rural communities, school children and older passengers continue to have access to low-carbon transport infrastructure.
Environmental and transport advocates have welcomed the announcement as a critical step toward embedding sustainable behaviour in the next generation.
Lydia Horbury, CEO of passenger champions Bus Users UK, said: “Making bus travel free for children throughout August is a hugely welcome step that will help families, encourage greater use of public transport and give young people more independence and opportunity over the summer holidays.
“We hope this not only supports communities over the summer but also inspires lasting confidence in public transport and encourages the next generation to see buses as an easy and sustainable way to travel.”
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