Public Transport

[ukyp]

Campaign proposal

A national public transport concession card for all young people under the age of 18 in full time education.

Purpose of campaign

A concession card would make buses and trains more accessible to young people; allow access to leisure facilities; create a cleaner environment as a consequence of cutting down car use; create the same freedom that pensioners enjoy, as like pensioners, young people in full time education do not have an income and are reliant on public transport.

Read more about this campaign

Discuss

· What do you think of this campaign idea?
· Is this issue important to you?
· Is the campaign realistic and achievable?
· What challenges would this campaign face?
· How could we make this campaign successful?

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[soozie_keane]

Completely support this campaign. The cost of busses in my area are ridiculous. If it costs so much to get anywhere, is it any suprise that we end up just hanging out on the streets? Grrr.

[ciara_squires]

concession's a start but full time under 18 students should get their PUBLIC transport for free, and child fare should be up to 18, we're not allowed to drink, smoke, do much at all so why should we pay adult fare?

[MYP for Maidstone]

A great campaign.

And it's easy to make, in kent we have a freedom pass where anyone under the age of 16 can travel on buses for free. However, the pass costs £50 a year which is good value, but still a lot for low income families.

If it we use a system like this, but iron out the problems, this could be UKYPs greatest success.

One more thing, if this does not work this year, we must surely shelve the campaign.

[Anonymous]

There is a lot fo support from non UKYP members: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...id=65118056572

[Alex Mitchell]

I think that this is a good idea ...

Absolutely brilliant, its true that young people are reliant on transport and many OAP's get free bus travel and decide not to use it, they'll buy a car instead and drive around.

Funny that we cant buy a car ...

i think bringing down the cost of transport is an essential way forward for UKYP and will benefit everyone

Alex Mitchell
MYP for South Somerset

[Spiz]

I completely support this campaign. Why are we having to pay to get too and from school when we are supposed to be entitled to a free education?

[Adam Gale]

I totally support this campaign. It would get more cars of the roads and reduce congestion.

What we really need to do is follow the brilliant example of London and make trams, busses and tubes free for young people.

My vote is for this campaign!

[Harrison]

This would be a good campaign, but transport is run by local authorities so how would we get them co operating. My local authority provides excellent consessionary fares and obvously, most other authorities don't. Surely if they already haven't followed on, will they ever take note.

It's a good idea, what with global warming and climate change and also would ensure more people invest in the bus service which could provide for green fueled buses. If people co operated it could work.

[Paul]

If London already has free transport, and Scotland has substantial discounts (along with some councils in the other areas of the UK) then is this really a campaign that effects all young people?

Assuming we go ahead, let's think:
- What level of concession would we aim for? 100%? 50%? 30%? (keep in mind that in London it's free!)
- What type of concession? On single tickets only? On returns? On day-riders? On all tickets? School days only? All year round? Locally only? Or across the whole of the UK? Or maybe limited to your nation (like OAP cards)?
- On all public transport (trains/buses/trams/tube/DLR/ferry)? Buses only?
- Would there be a cost for the card (like with the Young Persons [under 25] Railcard)? Would it be free?
- When would the concessions stop - 16/18? Would there be different levels of concession for different age groups?
- Would it be administered by national government (ie Westminster), devolved government (ie Holyrood, Cardiff, Westminster and Stormont) or local authorities?
- Would the card be approved by PASS (Home Office Proof of Age Standards Scheme) as a Proof of Age card?
- Would it contain any other information than your Name, Age/DOB and Local Authority Area (or discount eligibility)?
- Would it have varying levels of discount for different socioeconomic groups?
- Would you be required to apply for it or would it simply be issued automatically like National Insurance Numbercards?
- At what age would you be required to attain the card - 11/13?
- Would it be necessary to renew the card every year (or would people look the same 5 years later)?

India don't have all this trouble, apparently they just give children in villages a free bike aged 11 (because primary schools would be in the village but secondary schools would be further away) - Such a scheme here (with cheap bikes and easy to adjust seat/handlebar heights - maybe limited to Free School Meal households? [may lead to poorer children being outed as poor]) could be cheaper in the long run whilst encouraging exercise and perhaps even reducing the "wrapping up in cotton wool" of our youth and encouraging independence.