From 1 September 2025, young people in Wales aged 16-21 can travel on buses nationwide with £1 (€1.15) single tickets or £3 (€3.46) day passes as part of a discounted fare trial. Starting 3 November, the scheme will extend to children aged 5-15. Additionally, holders of mytravelpass can enjoy a 30 per cent discount on weekly, monthly, or yearly tickets.
The scheme will cover all journeys on participating bus services within Wales, with the aim of encouraging greater use of public transport. Journeys that start or finish in Wales but cross the border into England will also be included, up to the first stop across the border.
The Welsh government has allocated £15 million (approximately €17.3 million) over two financial years to fund the initiative, as part of a budget agreement with Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds. An additional £7 million (approximately €8.1 million) will be invested in November to extend the scheme to children aged 5-15. “This £1 bus fare is a transformational step forward for young people,” said Dodds.
We’re investing £15M to give young people cheaper bus fares.
— Welsh Government Transport (@WGTransport) August 18, 2025
The scheme for 16 to 21s starts on 1 September.
Young people will need a my travel pass to get the £1 single or £3 daily fares with participating operators.https://t.co/2x05knfgcN
Your Priorities. Delivered pic.twitter.com/Stk5eSuygK
In the UK, MPs have been pushing for free travel for young people, while Scotland has been offering free bus journeys to everyone aged five to 21 since 2022. Welsh Government Transport Minister Ken Skates stated that this should help young people “access education, training, employment, and leisure”. He also encouraged those “who don’t yet have a mytravelpass to apply so they can take full advantage of the scheme.”
Eligible passengers must apply for mytravelpass through the Transport for Wales (TfW) website, providing proof of age to access the discounted fares, which will run until September 2026. According to Lee Robinson, Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at TfW, over 10,000 people have already applied for the pass.
🚍 From Monday, 1st September young people aged 16-21 year old will be able to travel for just £1 with a mytravelpass in Wales.
— Trafnidiaeth Cymru / Transport for Wales (@transport_wales) August 30, 2025
Apply for your mytravelpass here: https://t.co/46NOMxu26U@WGTransport pic.twitter.com/QshC4YW7sX
According to David Beer of the independent transport watchdog Transport Focus, this new bus fare scheme is “an attractive proposition” that could encourage people to use buses instead of other forms of transportation. However, he noted that a recent survey conducted by his organisation found that young people in Wales were less satisfied with the value for money of public transport compared to their counterparts in England and Scotland.
Major bus companies have voluntarily opted to take part in the new scheme.
