Public transport in Wales should be made free for all young people under the age of 25 to support efforts at reducing carbon emissions and boosting social mobility and employment opportunities, say the Liberal Democrats.
The party said the policy would cost the Welsh Government around £132m a year to finance, which equates to less than 1% of the Welsh Government block grant.
It has calculated that providing free bus travel for young people would see the Welsh Government paying bus operators - which pre-pandemic received around £100m in subsidies and reimbursements for free bus passes for pensioners and disabled people annually from the Cardiff Bay administration - around £56m and £76m for trains.
The Welsh Government’s transport company Transport for Wales now runs the Wales & Borders rail franchise after it enacted the operator of last resort mechanism to take it over from KeolisAmey last year.
KeolisAmey, like other rail operating firms across the UK, saw its franchise business model derailed by the pandemic with the huge fall in passenger numbers. During the pandemic the Welsh Government increased funding to bus companies and the devolved rail franchise. Pre-pandemic the Wales & Borders franchise received a Welsh Government financed public subsidy of around £166m.
The Liberal Democrats claim that public transport is being neglected by both the Conservative Government in Westminster and the Labour-Plaid Cymru Administration in Wales and that the policy would help those groups reliant on public transport get ahead, provide an uplift to young people as we come out the pandemic and cut CO2 emissions and dangerous levels of air pollution.
Between 2009 and 2019 (pre-pandemic) there was a 22% decline in the number of journeys by buses in Wales. The Liberal Democrats said that Wales also continues to have the highest proportion of people travelling to work by car (estimated at approximately 75-80%). it said one of the biggest barriers to the public swapping to use public transport in Wales is its high cost.
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS said: “Providing free public transport for under 25s provides us with a radical way in which we can get large sections of the population out of private cars and onto sustainable methods of transportation.
“Transport is one of Wales’ largest polluters. We have to do all we can to get people on to public transport and cut traffic and congestion. In turn we would see a reduction in the deadly air pollution which impacts our health.
“In addition to helping tackle climate change, this policy can help cut Wales’ high poverty rates and give young people the leg-up they need as we emerge from the pandemic.
“We want to ensure that nobody in Wales faces barriers to accessing key public services, getting the job they want, or in chasing the opportunities they deserve and affordable and accessible transport represents a key part of breaking down these barriers.
“This is especially true for young people in Wales who are too often forced to work for lower wages.”
The Liberal Democrat said it is supportive of the Welsh Government’s current free bus pass offer for pensioners in Wales.
Currently, Transport for Wales offers free off-peak travel for those aged under 16, and a 16-17 Saver railcard which provides 50% off Standard Season, Off-Peak, Advance and Anytime tickets.
In September 2015, the Welsh Government introduced a voluntary discounted bus fare scheme for 16 to 18 year olds in Wales called My Travel Pass. This was extended so that one-third of bus fare discounts are now available to young Welsh people aged 16-21.
Over 18,000 passes were issued for this scheme prior to the pandemic.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Getting more young people to travel by rail and bus is key in helping to reduce traffic congestion, journey time and pollution.
“There are already a number of promotions in place and we are always looking at new ways of incentivising the use of public transport as we move towards a stronger, greener, fairer Wales.”
