Free bus travel for under-18s as Barnsley MiCard Returns

From Friday August 1, young people aged five to 18 who live in Barnsley will be able to travel free by bus across South Yorkshire between 7am and 9pm, seven days a week, as long as their journey starts or ends in the Barnsley local authority area.

The initiative brings back the MiCard brand, previously used between 2009 and 2017 for discounted youth travel in the borough. The updated scheme is being rolled out as part of the council’s “Great Childhoods Ambition”, which aims to improve opportunities for children and young people.

Current holders of Zoom travel passes will automatically receive the new MiCard in the post in the coming weeks. Applications will also open on Monday 7 July via the Travel South Yorkshire website, with postal applications also accepted.

The two-year pilot is being funded by a £5 million investment from Barnsley Council and up to £1 million from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said the scheme aims to ease financial pressures on families and support access to education, training, and leisure across the region.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said the MiCard forms part of his wider ambition to improve transport access for young people across the region. “This is a bold step toward making transport more accessible for young people,” he said.

The new MiCard design was unveiled yesterday (June 18) on the Library @ the Lightbox artwork in Barnsley town centre.