UK 
United States
An MP-led push for free bus travel for under-22s in England might sound like a youth perk. In reality, it could be one of the most impactful labour market interventions in years. By removing a stubborn barrier between young people and the workplace, it offers a direct benefit to employers: access to a wider, more diverse pool of talent.
What’s the idea?
The proposal comes from the House of Commons Transport Committee, which has urged ministers to pilot a scheme giving free bus travel to under-22s in England. Similar programmes already operate in Scotland and parts of Wales, where young people can travel at no cost on registered local bus services.
The committee says the measure would remove a key barrier to work and education, particularly in rural areas where public transport cuts have left some communities with only a handful of daily services. It also points to falling bus usage among younger passengers as a sign that intervention is needed to prevent a “generation locked out” of opportunity.
We talk endlessly about skills shortages and getting young people “work ready”, but not enough about the most basic question: can they physically get to the job or training? In many towns, especially those hit by years of bus route cuts, that answer is often no. The Transport Committee’s warning about “transport deserts” is not hyperbole - if there’s no reliable, affordable bus, the opportunity might as well not exist.
