Did you know this about the free bus travel?

[Rae36]

Everyone aged between 5 and 21 needs to apply for a new Young Scot entitlement card (NEC) to qualify for free travel. Existing ones won't work.

But you can't apply yet, you have to wait for Transport Scotland to tell you how to do it.

So that's 900,000 people needing issued with a new card before 31st January so they can get the bus for free. Oh but you can't apply in plenty of time, right now you can't apply at all.

young.scot/the-young-scot-card

I should have put this on the railing thread because I'm majorly ranty about it, but I thought more people might spot it this way.

Mine got young Scot cards through school

Sorry ignore me! The bus here is accepting them - I can only assume they are wrong

We got letters from school with a form to complete for primary age and those already with a young Scot card do something through the NEC website.

For 12 and up you can apply via the Young Scot card, but it’s still not clear what is to happen for 5-12 year olds.

This might be helpful.

Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme
You may be aware that from the 31 January, Transport Scotland are introducing free bus travel to everyone in Scotland aged from 5-21 years of age. To receive free travel, you must have a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or a Young Scot NEC which has to be scanned each time you board a bus.
PLEASE NOTE THAT AN EXISTING YOUNG SCOT CARD WILL NOT WORK AND YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR A NEW CARD.
Anyone who does not have a new style card will not be eligible for free travel and will have to pay the normal fare.
To get your new card, please go to getyournec.scot and apply for your new card.
For anyone aged under 16 years of age, the parent/guardian must apply. #TransportScotland cutt.ly/eUDXIqH

To get your new card, please go togetyournec.scotand apply for your new card

That is really handy, thanks. The Transport Scotland website is suggesting you can't apply yet.

I'll get our applications for replacement cards in now, my teenagers use the bus a lot.

Thanks, this is very useful to know!

Handy fr my son we were moved from our in catchment temporary housing to out of catchment so 2 buses each way £6 per day no student discount as he is Not at uni (s5). got another starting in aug so hope it is sorted soon so we can apply

Why be ranty? it's been well publicised.

Why be ranty? it's been well publicised

I didn't know everyone had to apply for a new card. I don't think that part has been well publicised at all. We haven't had any notification from school or anyone else.

When I did hear tonight I looked up the guidance on Transport Scotland and Young Scot website and both told me we couldn't apply yet. So I was a bit ranty about thinking that 900,000 cards would have to be issued in a very short space of time.

Turns out both those websites are wrong.

So I'm not sure why I'm ranty, I must be having a bad day.

Sorry.

My son applied for a new young scotcard when it was announced.

Thanks for this - I had been looking and had also only found the Transport for Scotland link that said details to apply would be released Jan!

Thanks for this.
We had no idea they needed to apply for new young scotcards

The Skills Development Scotland FB page seems to be the most up to date regarding the free bus travel. It’s called SDS Edinburgh if anyone wants to keep an eye on it for updates.

Thank you for posting this - I didn't know we needed to order new cards

Will take a look

Not just you OP, I only discovered it today. I just assumed DS's existing young Scot card would cover it; it seems such unnecessary bureaucracy for him to need a new card. And from what I can gather I need to create a mygovscot account in order to apply for one for him.

Thanks for posting this. Must admit I'm a bit confused as I can't see a way to apply for the new card yet ?

I found it here @rookiemere

If your teens already have a young Scot card and they're under 16 you need to apply for one for them. I was a bit grumpy that I would need to create a mygovscot account and hand over my data in order to make the application, but DH tells me he has a mygovscot account for parentpay.

@WhatWouldTheDoctorDo thanks for replying I can't see a link though in your post ?

Thanks I had no idea I had to apply for a new card until reading this.

Oh wait I've found it @WhatWouldTheDoctorDo and here I was wondering what I'd do with my day .

Oops, sorry for link fail, but glad you found it rookie.

I'll try again for anyone else...

here

I thought I'd read somewhere that if the YS card had the pink strip and was already used for contactless technology eg paying for school lunches that it would also work for the bus. But I can't remember where I read it. Agree though that it's ridiculous that this starts in 4 weeks and there's been so little information. Almost feels like they don't want people using it.

Here is the link that states which Young Scot Cards will work, it does stare if the card has a pink strip it is ok:

www.transport.gov.scot/concessionary-travel/young-scot-national-entitlement-card/