Can my child get the bus for free? How the August under-16 fare offer works and which routes are included

FREE bus travel is available for millions of children in England throughout August. It’s part of the government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme, which aims to ease cost-of-living pressures for families over the school holidays. Kids aged between five and 15 can get the bus for free during the summer holidays Credit: Alamy The Summer Bus Fare Offer runs from August 1 to 31, covering children aged five to 15 on participating services Credit: Getty For the whole of August, children under 16 can travel on most local buses in England for free. The scheme was introduced by Rachel Reeves when she was Chancellor under Sir Keir Starmer. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Current Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We’re giving families room to breathe from the cost-of-living squeeze. “With free bus travel for five to 15-year olds and discounts on kids’ meals at restaurants, cinema tickets and theme parks, we’re helping people make the most of the time they have together for the school holidays. “Not only are we lowering costs for the summer, the £2 bus fare cap will help all passengers get to where they need to for less.” How does the free bus pass work? Firstly, there is no physical bus pass that is handed out. The Summer Bus Fare Offer runs from August 1 to 31 inclusive, covering children aged five to 15 on participating services in England – under-fives already travel for free. Children aged 10 and under have to be accompanied by someone aged 16 or over. Most read in Money Identification isn’t normally required, but drivers can ask for proof of age if they’re unsure, and if they think the child is 16 or over they may be asked to pay. During his first week in office, Prime Minister Andy Burnham also announced that he is reintroducing a £2 cap on single bus fares across England outside London, running throughout 2027. Which bus routes are included? Families can also enjoy days out for less as part of the government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme, which has seen VAT cut for a number of activities. It is also cutting costs on children’s meals at restaurants, children’s tickets for theatres and cinemas, and tickets for everyone at attractions like adventure centres, theme parks and soft play. Gov.uk explains that families can get free buses for kids to these incredible places across the UK, including: The X46 from Hull to York for a trip to The York Dungeon The Carousel 37 from High Wycombe to visit Windsor Great Park and Windsor Castle The 54 bus from Leicester to the National Space Centre The Coaster 12, Regency 28 or the Breeze 77 to Brighton’s seafront for a day at the beach, exploring the lanes or going on the rides on Brighton Pier The X1 and X11 from Norwich to Great Yarmouth for a day out at the Merrivale Model Village The 23 or 24 bus from Birmingham to Woodgate Valley Country Park The 11 service – Europe’s longest urban bus route – which covers a 27-mile route and has been running around the outer circle of Birmingham for a 100 years, connecting to Cadbury World in Bournville, where families can get discounted entry this summer Families can save on 1000s of routes across England on operators including First Bus, Stagecoach and Go-Ahead. The full list of routes included in the Summer Bus fare Offer can be found by following this link. Comment now