Under 15 bus travel ban is unfair, councillor says

A ban on children under 15 travelling alone on buses in the evening is unfair, a councillor has said.

Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, spoke after First Bus said young people would have to be accompanied by an adult when travelling on services to and from Hanley Bus Station after 18:00.

However a bus driver for the firm claimed free travel for young people has been treated like childcare. Children aged five to 15 are able to travel on most bus services in England for free, until the end of the month.

Bus driver Ian from Penkhull said in his 30 years he had seen more children using the buses now as a result of the offer.

"With it being free, I think the parents think we're childcare for them," the driver told BBC Radio Stoke. "It gets them out the way, doesn't it?"

He added that despite not coming across bad behaviour on his route, unlike some colleagues, it would be a "nice break" for drivers when schools returned in September.

The ban was introduced due to complaints of anti-social behaviour.

One bus user, who also used to work for a bus company, told the BBC he had come across children pressing the emergency stop button, throwing things at drivers and stealing cash from them and verbally abusing some drivers.

Gordon-McCusker felt the ban was not the right approach.

"I've got a 12-year-old brother and I think it's a crying shame. I think it's unfair actually, that so many young people in our city are being punished for the actions of a few."

He said the authority was speaking to bus companies about the issue.

First Bus previously said drivers have been told to "exercise their discretion" over whether to allow unaccompanied children onto the bus if there were concerns about their safety.

Simon Mathieson, the firm's regional director for the East and Midlands, said the decision to bring in a ban had been made "regrettably" and the aim was to remove it once the free bus travel offer ends.

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