The South Lanarkshire Labour group is calling for the council to help young people apply for the new free bus pass.
The pass was introduced this month for people under the age of 22, however, some reports from parents and young people highlight difficulties when applying.
The Labour group is now urging the council to follow Inverclyde Council in helping school age children and young people apply for the bus pass in local primary and secondary schools.
Councillor Maureen Devlin, who is also a board member of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, said: “Labour councillors welcome the new bus pass for under 22s and we hope it helps young people connect with the communities around them. That is why we believe the application process should be as straightforward as possible.
“As it stands questions have been asked in the Scottish Parliament about how to apply and there are conflicting government messages about when to apply, with people still advised to stay close to home and no single definition of an ‘essential’ journey. It seems easier to book a holiday to Florida than apply for an under 22s bus pass and it shouldn’t be that way.”
She added: “Labour-led Inverclyde Council is coordinating applications through schools to maximise uptake. All parents have to do in Inverclyde is return a consent form and allow the council to do the rest. South Lanarkshire should follow its lead. Our ambition should be that everyone going to a South Lanarkshire school is supported to apply for a free bus pass.
“Our hope is that young people can get access to their pass as soon as possible to make journeys safely on public transport in the weeks ahead and then to make the most of the opportunities free bus travel offers when the Covid situation improves.”
The council has addressed the new bus passes on social media, where it made people aware of it and urged only those who need to make essential journeys to apply for one.
A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said: “All children and young people aged five to 21 can now apply for a card to let them access the Young Persons’ (Under-22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme from January 31.
“However, at the moment, the Scottish Government is encouraging people to stay at home as much as possible until the situation with the pandemic improves, and so only those with an essential need to travel by bus are being asked to apply at this time.
“The council’s social media channels have been publicising this information, and further details on the scheme is available on Traffic Scotland’s website.”
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