Stories

Thu, 21 May 2026

Thu, 21 May 2026 Children in England to be offered free bus trips this August

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is to reveal a £100m fare-free bus scheme designed to relieve cost-of-living pressures.

* Children aged 5-15 will travel free on participating buses in England throughout August.
* A £100m fare-free scheme, announced by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves, aims to alleviate cost-of-living pressures.
* Tariffs on over 100 types of products, including biscuits, chocolate, and dried fruit/nuts, will be suspended.
* Supermarkets are being encouraged to cut costs for shoppers, but there will be no mandatory price cap on essentials like eggs, bread, and milk.
* The government estimates that eligible families could save around £27 in August due to the free bus travel scheme.
* The plan mirrors a similar trial run in the West of England, which has seen over 1.4 million free journeys since its introduction.
* Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer claims the measures will "put money back into people's pockets and make life that bit easier".
* A 5p cut on fuel duty will be extended until the end of the year, reducing taxes on petrol and diesel.
* The reduced tax rate was introduced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has been maintained since.