More buses on the way in Barnsley as free travel scheme for under-18s launches
The funding will provide additional bus capacity during the initial rollout of free travel to under-18s.
More than £345,000 has been approved to fund extra buses in Barnsley, to help meet expected demand from the new free bus travel scheme for young people launching this summer.
The funding, signed off by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s executive director of transport, will provide additional bus capacity during the initial rollout of the MiCard scheme, which gives free travel to under-18s.
The funding will allow extra buses to be deployed across Barnsley for an initial four-month period once the pilot launches. The move comes after demand modelling showed that existing services may not be able to cope with the anticipated increase in young passengers.
The MiCard scheme, reintroducing a brand previously used between 2009 and 2017, will allow Barnsley residents aged 5 to 18 to travel for free on buses across South Yorkshire between 7am and 9pm daily, as long as their journey starts or ends in the borough. It officially launches on Friday 1 August.
A report outlining the funding decision said: “Provision of additional bus capacity, to be deployed dynamically where required, will reduce the risk to users of being unable to travel.”
Officials considered three options – doing nothing, committing to longer-term contracts, or short-term investment to assess travel patterns. The short-term option was approved, as it strikes a balance between cost and flexibility while allowing transport planners to monitor real-time demand and adjust services accordingly.
The MiCard pilot is being funded by a £5 million investment from Barnsley Council, with up to £1 million from SYMCA. It forms part of Barnsley Council’s Great Childhoods Ambition, a plan to improve opportunities for children and young people.
Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, has previously said the scheme would help ease financial pressure on families and improve access to education, training, and leisure.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard called the move “a bold step toward making transport more accessible for young people.”
Zoom pass holders will automatically receive the new MiCard by post in the coming weeks. Applications for new cards opened on Monday July 7 via the Travel South Yorkshire website or by post.