Good news from Barnsley, as under 18s are offered free bus journeys between 7am and 9pm.

The scheme has been running since August 2025 and has already reached 1 million journeys, according to the BBC report, which quoted council leader Steve Houghton who said the scheme ‘not only “eased financial pressures on families” but opened up “greater access for children and young people to the many opportunities available across Barnsley and South Yorkshire”.’

Its success reflects the popularity of other free transport schemes, such as free transport for women in the state of Karnataka, India, which reached 2 billion journeys in a year. Introducing free transport in a gradual way for large groups, such as these schemes do, is a good way to target specific groups who are worst-off under expensive ticketed transport networks.

Published: 21st February 2026.