Today I attended the launch of the Government's £1 bus scheme pilot in Newport. Transport is one of the main concerns raised with NUS from learners across Wales, so to see this scheme launched is good news. NUS has long been in conversations with both Government and political parties about how we can improve access to transport for learners in Wales, and it's great to see action being taken by the Government.
Under this pilot scheme, a bus ticket will cost £1 for those aged 5-21, and an all day ticket will be £3. Although you will need to carry a Mytravelpass if between the ages of 16-21.
We welcome the news today which will positively impact young people's ability to afford transport to education across Wales. However, at NUS we believe there is more to be done. According to Welsh Government data from 2023, "41% of 16 to 24 years olds identified transport as being the number one barrier to getting a new course, training, or a job". The news is great for supporting young people to access existing transport links, but it does little to support wider transport issues we're seeing across Wales.
We're seeing colleges funding their own busses for students to access education at a cost of millions of pounds due to loss of local authority subsidies, and public transport networks that are not always suitable for learners going to their campus, placement or workplace, particularly in rural communities. A £1 bus ticket is welcome, but we need to work holistically to solve the problem of transport.
At NUS, we're committed to ensuring that transport is never a barrier to accessing education in Wales. We will continue to work directly with Government ministers, sector bodies, and others to ensure the gravity of the issue is known, and that action is taken.
You can help us improve transport across Wales by signing our Transport Petition.
The Campaign So Far
As I've said, transport is one of the biggest issues learners are telling us about so far in 2025. Because of this, we've been engaging with the Government and other sector bodies to discuss how we can improve services on offer to learners in Wales.
In May, I attended the Learner Transport Summit in Pontypridd with Maisie, President of Cardiff and Vale College Students' Union. There, we discussed the range of issues facing learners in Wales as we try to access travel, and the issues we face getting to college every day. This was an opportunity to get together with others within the education sector to discuss how we can improve learner travel in Wales, from school busses, to colleges and even University Student transport too. It was clear that there's a lot of work to be done, and we'll continue to engage with the Government to get the wheels rolling on this.
I've also been in contact with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells MS to discuss the impact of inadequate transport on education, and we'll be continuing those conversations. It's great to see the Government listening to the concerns of learners, and we're grateful for their support in taking our concerns forward and looking for solutions. We've also been working with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates MS, to make sure that the issues learners are facing are included in solutions for the wider transport system in Wales. As always, we will continue to make sure learners are heard, and that we can break down barriers to education.
If you've been affected by transport issues affecting your education, or would like to get in touch with any concerns, email [email protected] and sign our Transport Petition. We'll see what we can do to help!
Ymlaen!
