Mayor Oliver Coppard defends free children’s bus travel in Sheffield after resident calls for them to walk
“I’m really proud we’re doing it, I’m pleased we’re doing it, we will continue to do it, in fact we will expand it.”
The Mayor of South Yorkshire has defended funding free bus travel for children in Barnsley and Sheffield after a member of the public said ‘they’re the ones who should be walking’.
Mayor Oliver Coppard said he was proud of the scheme, which offered cost of living relief for families on top of transport freedom for local young people.
It followed a public question at a recent South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Board meeting, where local resident Kate Savage questioned why Sheffield was ‘spending money’ on the scheme.
“They’re the ones who should be walking to improve their future health and fitness,” Ms Savage said.
She added: “Why not use that money to reinstate a free bus pass for Age 60 plus. They’re the ones who are getting less mobile and should be encouraged to get out of the house and into the environment, without using a car.
“I find it really disappointing that the rest of the UK benefit from a bus pass but most of England have to wait until we’ve retired. It’s one of the few perks I was looking forward to having paid taxes for 40 years.”
Mr Coppard said the free bus travel scheme was ‘designed to help with the cost of living’, reportedly putting ‘around £500 to families’ pockets’ by removing transport costs.
He said: “It helps kids get to school, college, training, jobs, sports clubs, leisure activities, cultural opportunities, social events, more easily. I think it goes without saying that clearly young people, most kids under 18, simply can’t drive. You just can’t get about if you’re a young person.
“So whilst it’s all well and good saying that young people should be out walking, that isn’t always as easy as it sounds, certainly for lots of rural communities, and frankly that’s why it’s so important that we give kids the opportunity to use public transport and help families with the cost of living while they’re doing it.”
The free bus travel scheme, funded in partnership between SYMCA and the councils in Sheffield and Barnsley, is funded separately from the concessionary travel scheme for senior and disabled residents, which includes funding from the UK Government.
Mr Coppard said local transport authorities like his do not receiving enough funding to extend that scheme to everybody aged 60+.
He told the board meeting he was committed to connecting everyone in the region to a ‘world-leading public transport system’ but that he was also determined to assist the region’s young people as well.
The Mayor said: “I think young people, not just in South Yorkshire, but across the country and in many ways across the world, have faced incredibly tough challenges and are increasingly facing incredibly tough challenges.
“Not least the cohort that went through Covid, the cost of housing, the impending climate challenges that we face, the job situation as a result of AI and technology and changes to the economy, leaving the European Union, you name it – a bunch of different things that are challenging young people in ways we’ve never seen before.
“I’m really proud we’re doing it, I’m pleased we’re doing it, we will continue to do it, in fact we will expand it, so thank you very much for your question.”