UK Government Launches Free Bus Travel for Children This August

BBC Business reported Wednesday that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a £100M government scheme granting free bus travel to children across England throughout August.

Free Rides for Five to Fifteen Year Olds

Children aged five to fifteen will be able to board participating local buses at no cost from 1 to 31 August. No registration is required, and eligible children face no cap on journey numbers. The Treasury estimates families with two children making weekly return trips could save roughly £27 over the month.

Reeves framed the policy as a direct response to rising household pressures. She cited the ongoing conflict in Iran as a driver of domestic price increases, and said her economic plan would continue protecting households and businesses.

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Background: A Regional Pilot Goes National

The scheme draws directly from a programme already running in the West of England. That local initiative, called Kids Go Free, recorded approximately 1.4 million free journeys across summer, Easter, and Christmas holiday periods. Labour Mayor of the West of England Helen Godwin welcomed the national rollout, calling it proof that devolved investment can scale up. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the move would put money back into pockets and make life easier for families.

Also Read: Free Kids’ Holiday Bus Travel Extended for Three Years

Tariff Cuts and Fuel Duty Also on the Table

The bus scheme sits within a wider package of cost-relief measures. The government will suspend tariffs on more than 100 product categories, including biscuits, chocolate, dried fruit, and nuts. Import taxes on those goods are paid by companies in the supermarket supply chain. Ministers expect grocers to pass savings directly to shoppers, though price caps on essentials such as milk, bread, and eggs will not be made mandatory.

That softer approach drew a sharp response from Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Machin, who called any voluntary price-cutting scheme “completely preposterous” and urged the government to reduce tax and regulatory burdens instead.

Separately, the government confirmed a 5p-per-litre fuel duty cut first introduced in 2022 will be extended through year-end rather than phased out in September. Oil and gas prices have climbed since the outbreak of hostilities involving Iran, adding renewed pressure on petrol and diesel costs.

Treasury secretary Dan Tomlinson told the BBC the government was right to examine both policy levers and industry collaboration in tackling living costs.

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