The Pilot, which Barnsley Council Cabinet will be looking to approve on Wednesday 2 April, is a scheme which offers up to 2-years free bus travel (starting on 1 August 2025) for under 18s living in Barnsley.

It will be a smart card similar to those currently operated by Travel South Yorkshire (Tickets and Passes - Travel South Yorkshire).  The travel card will be required to board the bus in (or to) Barnsley free of charge. The travel card must be scanned upon boarding.

All young people aged under 18 who live in Barnsley are eligible.  Travel cards are valid up to 31 July of the school year in which the young person turns 18 or 31 July 2027 (31 July 2027 being the end of the pilot).

Children under the age of 5 travel free on the bus network in South Yorkshire and do not need a travel card (ID may be required to demonstrate they are under 5)

Bus travel between the hours of 7am and 9pm Monday to Sunday (i.e. everyday).

Bus journeys starting or ending in Barnsley Local Authority area, for travel within South Yorkshire (e.g. Including travel to Meadowhall and back but not Meadowhall to Doncaster).

The travel card is for individual use and must not be shared.

The travel card will be issued free of charge but there will be a charge for replacement cards.

Application will be optional - either online or by post. Full details how to apply will be shared prior to 1 August.

Applications will open prior to 1 August to give families sufficient time to apply.

The U18s Free Bus Travel Pilot will offer free travel from 1 August.

No. It will only be valid for bus travel.

No. For the purpose of the Pilot the travel card will only be eligible for the free bus travel as described and will not link to other benefits. Zoom passholders should continue to use that for discounted rail and tram. We will keep this under review as part of the Pilot evaluation.

No. As this is a pilot scheme and to keep things simple for the purpose of evaluation, the travel card will not replace other passes. We will issue more guidance on this prior to 1 August.

During the period of the Pilot, the travel card will be a physical card like other travel card types (i.e. Zoom). We will keep this under review as part of the Pilot evaluation

There will be terms and conditions for people travelling using the U18s Free Bus Travel Pilot scheme. The administrators reserve the right to withdraw the travel card because of failure to adhere to scheme rules.

Yes. If anyone is deemed to be abusing the privilege of being part of this innovative Pilot, be that through anti-social behaviour or failing to adhere to scheme rules, the administrators reserve the right to withdraw the travel card.

The travel cards will be administered through South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, in line with established processes. 

We recognise that public transport is crucial to ensuring mobility. We want commuters to continue to use public transport and ensure it remains accessible for all.  Detailed work is ongoing to measure the anticipated additional demand on the bus network and increase capacity where necessary with the expectation of being able to maintain commuter travel levels.

Replacement travel cards will be issued by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority in line with the conditions of the Pilot.  There may be a charge for a replacement travel card.  

No. As this is a pilot scheme and to keep things simple for the purpose of evaluation, other tickets cannot be loaded onto the travel card.

This is a pilot scheme being commissioned by Barnsley Council which is why it is only available for Barnsley residents during the pilot period. The pilot will be used to enable wider decision making. We will keep this under review as part of the Pilot evaluation.

If you live outside of Barnsley but within South Yorkshire, you can check if you are eligible for one of our travel passes on the dedicated pass pages at Tickets and Passes - Travel South Yorkshire.

Your pass is only valid for journeys made from or to Barnsley within South Yorkshire.  The appropriate fare will need to be paid for any journey made over the county boundary.

The name of the U18s Free Bus Travel Pilot scheme will be shared prior to 1 August.

Barnsley Council is investing £5 million for the free bus travel for under 18s pilot, with an additional funding of up to £1 million from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

It is hoped that the Pilot will help reduce financial pressures for families and enable children and young people in Barnsley to access opportunities in the borough and across South Yorkshire.

The Pilot is part of Barnsley Council’s Great Childhoods Ambition - a borough-wide, collaborative approach to support all children and young people in Barnsley, providing them with the foundation for a successful future.