How has free bus travel for young people worked in Scotland?

Between studying, working, and volunteering, Poppy Fairbairn covers hundreds of miles a month on Scotland's bus network.

But the 19-year-old medical student, from Kirkcaldy in Fife, does not pay a penny for her travel.

As a National Entitlement Card (NEC) holder, Poppy - who is part-time swimming teacher alongside her studies at the University of St Andrews – benefits from Scotland's free bus transport for those aged under 22.

She said the scheme, which has run in Scotland for more than four years, means she "doesn't have to worry" about the cost of travel.

Young people in England under the age of 16 will benefit from free bus travel in August under new measures announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves on Thursday.

In Scotland, anyone aged between five and 21 with an NEC featuring the blue 'ITSO' circle is permitted to travel on any bus service within Scotland free of charge.

Poppy lives in St Andrews during term time and uses the bus network to get to and from classes, as well as making the 50-mile round trip home to Kirkcaldy on a regular basis.

She also volunteers with a number of organisations, including the Scouts, Young Scot and Scottish Action for Mental Health, in locations across Scotland.

Poppy estimated she would spend at least £25 per week on bus travel without the pass.

"Having the card means I don't have to decide what I can and can't do," she said.

"For work, because I only teach for two or three hours at a time, it's not feasible to commute there and earn a wage, I'd have to spend most of it getting there and back.

"It's the same with going to see friends, I can just go and not have to worry about the cost for them or for myself, we can just make the most of it."

The National Concessionary Travel Scheme (NCTS) was introduced in January 2022.

It was among the policies pushed through by the Scottish Greens as part of a Scottish Parliament budget deal with the SNP.

Users simply tap their cards when they get on the bus.

In the 2021/22 financial year about 3.5 million bus journeys were taken by those aged between 16 and 22.

By the following year, the first full year the scheme was operational, that had jumped to more than 33 million.

As of 1 April this year, 838,992 young people, or about 15% of Scotland's entire population, were in possession of a valid NEC pass.

That means about 80% of those eligible for the pass have one.

Official figures from Transport Scotland show 296,776,082 journeys have been taken by young people since the NCTS began.

Travel for children under the age of five is already free on most services.

In addition to tackling the cost of living crisis, it was hoped the scheme would create a generation of young people who choose to use public transport over private car use.

It costs the Scottish government about £472.7m a year to run.

The Greens, whom the SNP may need to rely on again to have future budgets passed through parliament, want to expand free bus travel to everyone in Scotland by bringing it under public control.

But while the scheme has been vital in allowing those like Poppy to work, study and socialise, it has also been cited among reasons for a rise in anti-social behaviour.

In February 2024, bus driver Keith Rollinson died of a cardiac arrest following an altercation with a youth in Elgin, Moray.

Rollinson had refused to let the boy, who was aged 15 at the time, board the bus because he was too drunk.

A court case later heard the boy "lost control" and began punching the driver in the head before being dragged away by another youth.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was originally charged with murder, but pled guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He was sentenced to four years and four months in prison.

In February of this year, the Scottish government said there were "no guarantees" he would be stripped of his bus pass after it emerged he was eligible for earlier release in 2026.

Legislation was later brought forward before the breakup of the last parliamentary session allowing the government to suspend or withdraw travel from a card holder if they breach a newly designed code of conduct.

However, those rules are not set to be introduced until later this year.

Speaking after the legislation was brought forward, the then-minister for connectivity, Jim Fairlie said: "Our aim is to make the bus network safer by deterring unacceptable behaviour and, where necessary, removing the privilege of free travel.

"Criminal behaviour will remain a matter for the police and justice system, but this policy forms part of wider efforts to improve community safety."

In Edinburgh, figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service found reports of anti-social behaviour on board Lothian services had increased by nearly 5% last year.

Last month, eight youths were charged after a driver was assaulted outside the city's Royal Infirmary.

Operators First Bus and Stagecoach have both previously withdrawn services in Glasgow due to repeated instances of vandalism.

Stagecoach also temporarily withdrew its number 82 service in Dunfermline, Fife, in March due to a number of "serious incidents" which saw vehicles targeted with objects and windows smashed.

In Hawick, Borders Buses drivers were told to call the police following the cancellation of some after-school services due to young people "screaming, shouting and being anti-social".

The Unite union, which represents about 8,000 workers in the bus industry across Scotland, said it was in support of the pass in principle, but called for more protections to be introduced for staff.

The union's deputy Scottish secretary, Dougie Maguire said: "The incidence of anti-social behaviour is at record levels which is leading to unacceptable levels of physical and verbal abuse being directed at drivers and passengers.

"We need bus companies and the Scottish government to adopt stronger preventative and protective measures on all buses such as CCTV.

"This is complicated societal issue which needs a multi-agency response, because it's having a detrimental impact on communities, passengers and workers."