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

Mine have left school now but their school was four miles away. So they would have continued to get free bus travel?
One difference with the rest of the country is that car ownership isn’t common in London, so public transport is very normal.

Also, as I am very very worried about it, I looked into it and it seems that local authorities will have to shoulder this cost. Needless to say, their budgets have been cut by 60% over the last 10 years. They simply don't have the money.

It is also the case that people work and can't taxi their children to school and back.

@istherelifeafter40

And what about children doing GSCEs, A level - already for years in schools 5-6 miles away from home? Walk there?

But it's not unusual to be five or six miles from secondary school surely? That's pretty normal isn't it?

Transport in many places is only paid to nearest school and over 2 miles. Why can’t children walk two miles in London. It’s flat and has pavements. (Unlike hilly rural areas)

This is disgusting. Whilst pensioners retain their free travel?

Actually I agree - I know plenty of partners in magic circle law firms/big 4 accountancy firms who don't pay for their travel. Why should children who can't earn money have to pay when pensioners earning millions a year don't have to?

istherelifeafter40 Those travelling over two miles would still get free travel

Because if you DECIDED to send your child to, say, a grammar, or they got in some school as a musician
London schools have complicated entry systems. You can rarely decide to send your child anywhere.
As I read it, all those travelling more than 2 miles continue to get free bus travel, and that will still be a lot. Plus those with special educational needs etc.

There is actually an area near me (South East London) that all the secondary schools belong to a specific academy chain. They don't have to give admission priority to local children and they don't so many local children don't get a place there.
A whole load of children in that area were offered a school that's actually in the next borough and in no way walking distance.
If parents know well in advance they would have to pay bus fares they can plan and budget (like they have to with buying the uniform) but this has essentially been dumped on people a few weeks before the school year starts.
If fares are to be introduced they should perhaps be phased in year by year.

@Sandygran

So, people are saying this is an initiative to encourage kids to walk or cycle to school, but you don't seem to be considering this OP?

It isn't. It was simply a condition of the government bailout.

Because London is a very big city and city life is different to a rural life. We can't all live exactly the same way as people do in say Cornwall. Subsidised travel for children in big cities is a norm in developed countries.

Two miles in a straight line or two miles walking route? We're about 1.7 miles away as the crow flies, but it's over two to walk (which should surely be the more pertinent measurement).

Sandygran, I am not disputing children needing to pay at this time but I just want some confirmation of how much. Depending on the distance to individual schools it may well be possible to walk. Personally, I would not let my children cycle where we live, lots of irresponsible drivers and roads not suitable for inexperienced bikers. No problem with them walking.

Ritasue not everywhere in London is flat. My area has one of the steepest hills in the country. Every other road is called Something Hill. Infact my area is called (name of area) Hill.

Also in countries that are very large traveling large distances in considered normal and doesn't cost the earth. London is the same, it is a big city and travelling around it should be possible, affordable and shouldn't stop children from getting around. To be honest, I am fuming about it.

First it costs a fortune, then it doesn't run, breaks every second day, trains get cancelled. Now we will have transport poverty with teenagers whose parents can't afford to pay their transport getting stuck in one place.

What other areas of the UK get free public travel for under 18s? And people wonder why the rest of us get annoyed at the London centicness of things!

@Ritasueandbobtoo9

Transport in many places is only paid to nearest school and over 2 miles. Why can’t children walk two miles in London. It’s flat and has pavements. (Unlike hilly rural areas)

PMSL at "it's flat" 😂😂😂

London is also still very dangerous for cycling.

Actually I remember coming to Manchester and the were bus routes completely free for everyone.

I paid 4 times as much council tax living in a rural area with shit local services as I did when I lived in London. You can’t really whinge about this when free transport to anything other than your catchment area is not the norm in the rest of UK.

@TitianaTitsling

What other areas of the UK get free public travel for under 18s? And people wonder why the rest of us get annoyed at the London centicness of things!

Of course it"s "London Centric". It's Transport for London

I assume other cities have their own transport systems which set their own fares?

I can whinge about whatever I want. It is a disgrace.

We are rural and 6 miles from school along busy A roads- no pavement, free transport here? Nope! What's so harsh about walking less than 2 miles in an urban environment?

@Kpo58

I wonder how many won't be able to get to secondary school/college once that happens because they can't afford to.

It says that they'll get free travel to school if it's more than 2 miles away. If under 2 miles, it's walking distance (unless you have a disability, in which case I'm sure exceptions will apply).