Children in England to be offered free bus trips this August

Children aged five to 15 will travel for free on participating local buses in England throughout August under a 100m fare-free scheme. The plan allows an unlimited number of trips and does not require registration. The government estimates a family with two children making a weekly return trip at £1.50 per fare could save about £27 in August. The Labour government will also suspend tariffs on more than 100 product types, including biscuits, chocolate, dried fruit, and nuts. Ministers will press supermarkets to cut costs for shoppers but will not force price caps on essentials such as eggs, bread, and milk. Marks & Spencer’s chief executive criticized the approach as unrealistic and urged tax and regulatory reductions instead.

"Children aged five to 15 will travel for free on participating local buses in England in August, the chancellor will announce on Thursday. Rachel Reeves is to reveal a 100m fare-free scheme designed to relieve some of the ongoing cost-of-living pressures. The Labour government will also suspend tariffs on more than 100 types of products including biscuits, chocolate, and dried fruit and nuts."

"Ministers are pressing supermarkets to cut costs for shoppers but will not force them to cap prices on essentials like eggs, bread and milk. But even a voluntary scheme to cut costs was described by Marks & Spencer's chief executive, Stuart Machin, as "completely preposterous". "My advice is that the Government should reduce some of the tax and regulatory burden and free us up in a very competitive market," he said."

"The government estimates it could save a family with two children who make a weekly return trip at 1.50 per fare approximately 27 in August. Eligible children can take an unlimited number of trips and will not need registration to travel fare-free. "As the war in Iran pushes prices up at home, my economic plan is the right one," she said."

"The bus scheme, to run from 1 to 31 August, mirrors one trialled in the West of England. Reeves also appeared on the social media app TikTok, writing in the caption: "I'm stepping in to make sure kids can still experience the little joys this summer." Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson told the BBC it was "right that the government looks across the board at what more we can do - both government levers but also talking to industry about the steps that they can take to support people with the cost of living"."

Read at www.bbc.com