Plans to revoke under 22 bus passes is ‘scapegoating young people’, says Scottish Youth Parliament

The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) has responded to the Scottish Government’s plans to use suspension of concessionary bus cards for under 22 year olds as a punishment for anti-social behaviour, the SYP saying ‘young people shouldn’t be singled out and stigmatised’.  

In the recently published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government outlined plans to ‘ensure a safer Scotland’ by temporarily or permanently revoking the under 22 travel scheme for children and young people found to be engaging in anti-social behaviour while using the card. The PfG stated the government was looking into whether any legislative change would be required, and creating a behavioural code for the scheme. 

SYP has spoken against this measure, arguing that removing access to free bus travel could restrict children and young people’s access to support services and education, and that focus should be on prevention of anti-social behaviour through providing accessible services like youth work.  

SYP in particular is asking First Minister John Swinney to ‘ensure children and young people are involved in this decision and that all action takes a children's rights-based approach.’ 

Islay Jackson, MSYP for Glasgow Anniesland, said the proposal creates a ‘stigma that singles out young people’, asking ‘how are we supposed to look up to decision makers that wrongly accuse us and remove a service that can revolutionise a young person’s life?’ 

Matthew Gordon, MSYP for Glasgow Kelvin, stated:

‘We need to protect everyone on buses but scapegoating young people is absolutely not the way to do it.’ 

Hamish Nott, MYSP for Inverness and Nairn, said:

‘I am worried that implementing this removal from U22s is shifting the blame for anti-social behaviour completely onto young people.’  

Visit the Scottish Youth Parliament website