Delivery options
Consultation : Free bus travel for people resident in Scotland aged under 19
Delivery options
In line with our existing National Concessionary Travel Scheme we intend to facilitate access to free travel by providing smart cards to all eligible people aged between five and 18. Children under five would be able to travel free without identification, in line with current general commercial practice. Eligible people would be able to board and travel for free on eligible bus services on presentation of a valid travel card.
We have considered various options around how to establish the scheme, including whether to establish a scheme with or without cards (for example where some or all 5-18 year olds could board without needing to present a card). However, a card-based scheme would be more effective in managing payments, including minimising fraud, by allowing us to monitor anonymised card usage data. It would also allow us to analyse journey patterns and usage to evaluate the impact of the scheme on our objectives and adjust it in the future.
The existing concessionary travel privacy policy is available to read here: https://www.transport.gov.scot/concessionary-travel/60plus-or-disabled/#55520. This details how we currently use, store and share (for example with the National Entitlement Card Programme Office, local authorities and, in limited circumstances, with the police) personal information that we hold in connection with our national concessionary travel schemes. We will review the safeguards and data privacy arrangements in the existing NCTS to see which arrangements may be appropriate for the new scheme.
Providing nationwide free bus travel to people under 19 requires us to carefully consider the implications for child safety. We are considering setting an age below which access to the scheme would have to be authorised by parents or guardians. For example, Transport for London's Zip Oyster scheme for children under 16 requires parents to create an online account and apply for the card on their child's behalf.
Question 3
Should a smart card, such as the widely used Young Scot National Entitlement card, be used to establish eligibility for free bus access?
- Yes
- No
- Please explain
Question 4
Should children under a certain age need to have their application for a travel card approved by a parent or guardian?
- Yes
- No
- Please explain
Question 5
If you answered 'yes' to question 4, at what age should parental or guardian approval be required?