Welsh Government's 'botched' bus promise will only help some teens

The pilot scheme announced as part of a deal with Lib Dem MS Jane Dodds will not currently apply to those aged 11 to 15

The Welsh Government's plans to offer all those under the age of 21 bus travel for £1 have not yet been fully agreed with bus operators, it has been revealed. It could leave children aged between 11 and 15 paying more for public transport compared to those aged between 16 and 21.

The Welsh Government agreed its budget for the financial year 2025-26 in February, and due to the way the Senedd has been elected, Labour needed support from another Senedd member and Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds did a deal with Labour to ensure the budget would pass.

The concessions she got from finance minister Mark Drakeford in return included a pledge for single bus fares priced at £1 for those under 21.

When the Welsh Government announced the pledge, it said the £100m deal it struck with her included "£15m to fund a pilot scheme for young people aged 21 and under to pay only £1 for a single bus fare in Wales." You can read the story on that here.

Little detail has been published about the scheme since the budget was announced, but it has now emerged the pilot is currently only agreed for 16 to 21 year olds, and will currently not apply to those aged 11 to 15.

Wales' transport minister Ken Skates said negotiations are ongoing with bus operators and he hopes it will be resolved before the scheme is due to start in September.

Plaid Cymru's transport spokesman Peredur Owen Griffiths said that would mean younger teenagers will have to pay more to travel than their older peers for exactly the same journeys. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

For example, in Cardiff and Newport they would have to pay £1.70 and in Swansea between £1.10 and £2.

Asked about the issue in questions in the Senedd today (April 30), Wales' transport minister Ken Skates said: "Negotiations are ongoing regarding young people aged between five and 15, negotiations with the industry itself."

"In terms of the provision for those who are under 15 years old, we are still in negotiations with the industry to make sure that the young people who don't benefit from our £1 flat fare don't have to pay more.

"It's absolutely vital that we introduce people at the earliest age to bus services, so that they develop that sort of behaviour that then drives a life of change in terms of modal shift," he said.

Mr Skates continued: "Ideally, bus operators will at least contribute to reducing the cost of fares for under-16s, but this is yet to be confirmed and that’s why the negotiations are ongoing but we intend to bring those negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible, and certainly in time for the scheme’s introduction."

The Welsh Government does not hold figures for how many young people aged between 11 and 15 use buses in Wales.

In answer to a written question, asked by the Plaid MS, Mr Skates was asked on April 2: "What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact of the Welsh Government's £1 bus fare pilot for 16-21 have on bus users in the 11-15 age group?"

To that he responded: "As part of the modelling work undertaken on the £1 bus fare pilot for 16-21 year olds, Transport for Wales also considered the impact on 5-15 year olds. They are currently negotiating the details of the scheme with bus operators, and the impact on 5-15 year olds is an important element of these discussions."

Mr Owen Griffiths said it was a "botched" policy.

We have asked the Welsh Government to confirm if it ever intended for all those under 21 to be included, and when the modelling referenced by Mr Skates was carried out.

In a response to WalesOnline, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales said: “The scheme announced as part of the budget negotiations was for young people aged 16-21 years old. We are negotiating with bus operators to develop a successful scheme which delivers on this commitment. The right approach for 5-15 year old fares is an important part of these negotiations, as we recognise the importance of affordable fares for this age group.”