Scottish Government at COP26: What was achieved?

Case Study: Free bus travel for Under 22s

Context

COP26 was a vital opportunity for the global community to agree meaningful steps to further reduce emissions from the transport sector, and showcase Scotland’s best practice in this area.

In 2022 the Scottish Government are launching the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme which will enable free bus travel for all those under 22 years of age. The scheme is being delivered in partnership by Transport Scotland, the Improvement Service, the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO), Young Scot, local authorities and bus operators.

Around 930,000 young people across Scotland will be eligible to benefit from the scheme, making it easier for them to make sustainable travel choices. It seeks to improve opportunities for all young people through better access to education, leisure and work, and support a Just Transition by removing financial barriers to accessing the most popular form of public transport - the bus - which can help reduce household costs, especially for those on lower incomes.

What happened?

On November 5 2021, on COP26 Youth and Empowerment Day, the First Minister and Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with children and young people to showcase and celebrate the forthcoming launch of free bus travel for those under 22 years of age.

Following Ministers’ departure, the young people and social media influencers were welcomed to take part in a bus tour on a new Alexander Dennis Ltd electric double decker, capturing content for social media, and helping raise awareness of the initiative.

What was the impact?

Nearly 60 million individuals interacted with the news story through various press and social media routes. This has helped build essential national awareness about the new scheme in advance of its official launch.

More generally, this activity showcased Scotland’s best practice in the area of transport decarbonisation – which focuses not only on the transition to clean technology but also on reducing demand and encouraging people towards more active and public transport options.

What are the next steps?

Applications opened on the 10 January 2022 for 5-21 year olds living in Scotland to access free bus travel - with a focus on children and young people who need to make essential journeys. The scheme officially commenced on the 31 January 2022.