Angela Constance MSP, has today welcomed the news that 15,987 children and young people in West Lothian are benefiting from free bus travel since the introduction of the Scottish Government's scheme for under 22's.
In figures released yesterday, the Scottish Government revealed that - as of 12 September 2022 - a total of 483,931 children and young people across Scotland are cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme and that a total of 21,723,100 journeys made under the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme since its introduction. Commenting Ms Constance said: "It is brilliant that so many children and young people in West Lothian are already benefiting from the Scottish Government's free bus travel and I want to make sure that even more young people take advantage of this. "This initiative is not only about helping our young people get about more often and more easily - whether that be local journeys or journeys right across Scotland - but it is also about embedding more sustainable travel behaviour from a young age which will support all of our efforts to tackle the climate emergency. "It also is a key way of maintaining vital services in many areas, especially rural or outlying ones, and can provide help to people struggling with the cost of living crisis right now - by making travel affordable." ENDS
NOTES
Table (below) shows the number of cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme
Local Authority
Cardholders
Aberdeen City
21,431
Aberdeenshire
24,031
Angus Council
7,120
Argyll & Bute
5,589
City of Edinburgh
58,777
Clackmannanshire
2,780
Comhairie nan Eilean Siar
1,382
Dumfries and Galloway
8,739
Dundee City
17,282
East Ayrshire
14,084
East Dunbartonshire
8,340
East Lothian
11,226
East Renfrewshire
8,723
Falkirk
9,054
Fife
41,233
Glasgow City
52,152
Highland
13,341
Inverclyde
10,775
Midlothian
8,507
Moray
6,996
North Ayrshire
15,812
North Lanarkshire
27,591
Orkney Islands
1,288
Perth & Kinross
12,039
Renfrewshire
17,193
Scottish Borders
9,087
Shetland Islands
2,487
South Ayrshire
6,492
South Lanarkshire
28,143
Stirling
6,612
West Dunbartonshire
9,638
West Lothian
15,987
Total
483,931
01506 460403
angela.constance.msp@parliament.scot
Unit 4, Ochil House, Beveridge Square, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6QF