London parents - Free bus travel for children suspended from October half term

[Poundpup]

I just came across this article whilst browsing the BBC site and it seems that free transport for under 18s will be suspended temporarily directly after the October half term. With exceptions for those travelling to school more than 2 miles away.

Does anyone know how much a child's fare is? As nowhere seems to indicate what the incoming children fares will be.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53694922

I think it will probably become the same as other cities. My ds goes to a school 6 miles away, as there is no other suitable school nearer he gets a free travel pass. His friend lives 3 miles from school and they get a pass based on income.

Yep - I have to fork out thick end of £200/term, Londoners and their dc’s have had a massive advantage here for all this time. And no, we don’t have a huge choice of schools and none of them are walkable due to the roads being non footpathed and no streetlights for winter so unsuitable for bikes.
It’s ok saying ‘but London is so expensive’ - but many Londoners forget about the downside of living so far away from the place where everything is centralised - wages are lower (living wage round here? Hahahahaha!!!!!!), little choice of jobs, bus stops running at 6:30pm (at an extortionate fare), no train station, but yet my fuel, food and utilities are all the same. Culture? I have to travel substantially for anything that goes on tour (that’s it comes to our region - most don’t).
And no, our houses aren’t massive - plenty of 2up 2downs up here (or contouring get Coronation Street on your TV’s?).
It was your choice to send them to a school so far away - be grateful you have that luxury!

It's only buses and trams that are free for 11-16 year olds
They pay on the tube and the train

How many people in London live more than 2 miles from their nearest school? Here, as with most other areas, you pay for your own child's transport to schools unless you sent them to the closest school and it's more than 3m away. Special schools are an exception but they still need to be more than 3 miles to get funded transport

We used to have the same problem with some of the services out of Paddington to West London. TFL have now taken them over as TFL rail. Mine had the 5-10 card when they were younger just in case.

My comment is to bookmum

Chazs yes the wording "some national rail journeys" is sooo helpful. Which ones? The times I have tried to find that out and met with "dunno" from staff.

bookmum08 - here is the map that shows where they need a zip and where they don't

content.tfl.gov.uk/free-travel-areas-without-oyster-adult-accompanying-map.pdf

The difference is historic - previously 5-10 year olds travelling on national rail services South of the river were charged a child fare

I'm watching this thread just out of interest as no personal involvement. I'm amazed at how much parents are paying for their children to get to school outside London - there are some horrendous amounts quoted on here. When my 2 went to senior school we still lived in London and I gave them the bus fare every Monday (this was back in the early 90s) and they both later admitted that, unless it was teeming down, they walked and spent the money on sweets and fizzy pop. I don't know how they both have such lovely teeth... Anyway, I hope TFL pulls its finger out and gives you some idea of cost soon.

AveEldon Thanks. Daughter is on to a 11 - 16 Zip now so those days are over for us. I seem to remember that there a few exceptions (like the Heathrow Express I think?) it was just annoying sometimes when you would ask staff and they wouldn't know.

How many people in London live more than 2 miles from their nearest school? You'd be surprised, I feel sure.

We walk to our local primary school as well within the school catchment area. But then I am central London and literally schools and nurseries in all directions.

Are senior school catchment areas that much larger in central (and Greater) London? I never thought it was wise (pre Covid) to drag a young child through packed and stressful London rush hour commute via mass shared public transportation.

Under half a mile to our nearest school - the one we listed #1 in the secondary application process. 2.5 miles to the school we were allocated .

Dd could walk there at a pinch but not with her rucksack. What do you all do about that?

@Binterested but if your DD has a 2.5 mile journey to school she will get a free Oyster card still!

No she won’t. No sob story here but she didn’t go there in the end - she wouldn’t go there. Her school is even further away and that is absolutely a choice so I quite understand her not benefitting from any concessions although her not getting into our nearest school was a bit crap in the first place

I’m commenting more out of concern for kids who didn’t have a choice - she did. And genuine question about the rucksacks. I literally wouldn’t walk 10 minutes with what they have to carry. That would be my primary reason for getting a bus - not distance but load.

My local bus (west London) is often mobbed by school kids who get on - cause havoc for 2 stops then get off again- these are the kids who should be walking. Not the ones that live miles away- I agree that transport needs to be available for people who are travelling to work- buses In particular are not accepting over 30 passengers in some areas- take the kids out and this leaves space for the people travelling on essential journeys

I have two boys 13 and 11 and this is causing me so much stress. Recently unemployed and because we happen to live 1.9m from their school they won't be entitled even though they are FSM. If we live just 2 blocks away it could have been a different story.

1.9 miles can easily be walked by 11 and 13 year olds. My children (outside of London, but built up suburbs) have walked 2.5 miles each way to school and back since age 11, in all weathers, carrying rucksacks, sports equipment, musical instruments etc, and it's never been a problem at all. It's not anything to worry about at all. Just walk with them the first couple of times so they know the route, if they don't already know it.

I’m really sorry Safalina. The government is just relying on London parents accepting this and absorbing the costs and loads of them can’t. If you could email your local MP and tell them about it that will help them be able to advocate for parents in your situation in Parliament and hopefully get this changed. It’s totally unfair- like with keeping going free school meals in the summer holidays- they seem to need a public campaign before they will consider to get this decision reversed.

I think 1.9 miles is quite far to walk... especially as in my ds's school, there's no lockers..one day he has pe then sport after school and for each session he needs different types of boots so that's a lot to carry.... especially if it's raining and dark in the evenings. My ds does a club once a week after school so needs to get home in good time for that.

The lack of clarity is horrendous...it's virtually impossible to find out any information so we can budget accordingly.

I already pay over £80 a month for my ds school lunches...if I start paying for buses too, it's could easily be over £100 a month to send my ds to school.

It's a considerable sum for families who may already be struggling.

If they must save money remove the freedom pass from pensioners. Children have given up enough to help out the rest of society...they deserve to have access to education.

@DateLoaf

For anyone who wants to take action on this: Have a look at the Child Poverty Action Group page cpag.org.uk/policy-campaigns/campaigns/dont-zap-zip-keep-london-transport-free-under-18s

This includes a link to their briefing paper on this issue- an interesting read. It includes details of other parts of the country that currently run subsidised travel schemes for children and young people, along the same line as the London scheme.

There are shocking statistics about child poverty in London and how the poorest kids in the most deprived areas will be affected by this change.

There are also some details about the financial contribution raised by taxation in London, which is spent in the rest of the country.

Change.org petition- www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-suspended-children-s-free-bus-pass

If you can only do one thing though, the single most effective one will be to write a short note to your MP, asking them to speak up about this- it’s a condition being imposed by central government on bailing out Transport for London who have been drastically affected by changes in travel due to COVID, obviously including as mandated by central government.

Excellent post. Thank you.

Date Loaf - thanks for the most sensible post by far.

The rest of this thread has descended into London bashing rather than the real issue - the poorest children being disadvantaged yet again.
(And the change in travel concessions was mandated by Govt, TfL had no choice).

I think 1.9 miles is quite far to walk.

It's really not. Its 30-40 minutes walk. It's good for children's health and the environment for them to walk.

As I said, my children have walked 2.5 miles each way since Yr 7 (they are now Yr 10 and 11) carrying all of the necessary equipment/sports kits/musical instruments etc, and they've never had a problem at all. They're normal kids, no special skills or superhuman fitness levels!

Average walking speed is 3.1 miles per hour.

I don't object to my dc walking a distance like that but what bothers me is walking that distance in all weathers, carrying a heavy bag and kit and potentially in the dark during winter time...I walk every day but I wouldn't fancy walking 2 miles in the dark whilst it's raining and carrying a heavy rucksack.

Surely you wouldn't be walking 2 miles in the dark whilst it's raining and carrying a heavy rucksack - wouldn't you just pay the fare. Likely to be around 75p-