Young people to get £1 bus fares across Wales from today

From today (Monday, September 1) single fares will cost £1 and a full day pass will cost £3 for those aged 16-21, which will later be extended to five to 15-year-olds from November 3.

There will also be 30 per cent off weekly, monthly or yearly tickets for young people

MPs in England have been calling for free travel for young people, while Scotland has had free bus travel for those aged five to 21 since 2022.

Welsh government Transport Minister Ken Skates said he hoped the scheme would help young people "access education, training, employment, and leisure".

To get the cheaper fares, those eligible will need to apply for a mytravelpass, via the Transport For Wales (TFW) website, verifying their age in order to access the discount, which is available until September 2026.

Bus services are involved on a voluntary basis and include all major bus operators.

No additional routes will be added but tickets will apply to any single journeys that start in Wales.

The Welsh government said £15m was being provided over two financial years (2025-26 and 2026-27) to support the scheme as part of a budget deal with the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Mid and West Wales Senedd Member, Jane Dodds.

Jane Dodds said the policy meant "young people across Wales would find it easier to travel to education, meet friends, and crucially, access jobs".

"I’m delighted to see this Welsh Liberal Democrat policy come into effect today.

“The cost-of-living crisis has hit young people hard, but now, young people across Wales will find it easier to travel to education, meet friends, and crucially, access jobs.

“This £1 bus fare is a transformational step forward for young people. It shows the real impact Welsh Liberal Democrats are having in the Senedd. With more Liberal Democrat Members elected next May, we’ll be able to deliver even greater change for communities across Wales.”

Lee Robinson, executive director for regional transport and integration at TfW, said they had already received more than 10,000 applications for the mytravelpass.

"I think it's a really important scheme for young people to encourage them to use public transport at an affordable price," he said.

"It's a really good opportunity to get young people travelling by public transport and set some of those behaviours as a foundation for the future."

Ken Skates, Minister for Transport and North Wales, said: "I am delighted to be launching a scheme that offers affordable bus travel for young people to help them access education, training, employment, and leisure, as well as supporting our efforts to encourage more people to use public transport, reduce carbon emissions and tackle poverty."

Young people can apply for a travel pass here: https://mytravelpass.tfw.wales/