More than 14.5 million free bus journeys were made by children across England during August, as a government-backed summer travel scheme helped families reduce the cost of days out
during the school holidays.
The figures, published by the Department for Transport, show that children aged between five and 15 made millions of journeys without paying a fare under the Great British Summer Savings Scheme, which ran throughout August.
The initiative was designed to help families manage holiday expenses while encouraging children and parents to use public transport for trips to beaches, parks, museums, national parks and other attractions.
The government said the scheme formed part of a broader programme aimed at making bus travel cheaper and increasing passenger numbers across England.
Participating bus operators reported substantial increases in the number of children travelling during the month. According to figures from the Confederation of Passenger Transport and individual operators, some areas recorded particularly sharp rises compared with the previous summer.
In the north-east, one bus service recorded a 710 per cent increase in child passengers, while Greater Manchester's Bee Network carried almost 1.7 million children during the summer period — around 748,000 more than a year earlier.
Bus operators in the East Midlands also reported that child passenger numbers almost doubled compared with the previous summer.
The Summer Bus Fare Offer allowed children aged five to 15 to travel free on participating services between 1 and 31 August 2026. With children's fares typically costing as much as £2, the scheme provided families with a direct saving on the cost of holiday travel.
Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said the figures demonstrated the impact of removing the cost of bus travel for children.
"Whether it’s a trip to the seaside, a park or a museum, it’s great to see that millions of children used the bus for free this summer."
He said the government wanted to make public transport more affordable while increasing access to bus services across the country.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport said the programme had allowed children and families to explore their local areas while giving young passengers greater independence.
Graham Vidler, chief executive of the organisation, said its members had delivered more than 14 million free child journeys during the summer.
He added that buses would continue to play an important role as children returned to school, with operators offering a range of discounted and value-for-money ticketing options.
Bus Users UK also highlighted the potential longer-term effect of encouraging children to use public transport from an early age.
Chief executive Lydia Horbury said free travel had enabled families to make greater use of their local communities and could help establish public transport as a regular choice for younger passengers.
The August initiative was part of the government's wider plans to overhaul bus travel in England.
A £2 bus fare cap is due to come into force in January 2027, while the government has also announced plans to expand access to bus services for disabled passengers, including free travel for eligible disabled pass holders around the clock.
The government says the measures are intended to reduce the cost of everyday travel, increase bus use and improve access to public transport.
With the summer scheme now ended, the Department for Transport is presenting the 14.5 million journeys as evidence of strong demand for affordable bus travel, while transport operators continue to face the challenge of maintaining passenger numbers beyond the holiday period. Photo by mattbuck, Wikimedia commons.
