Southend Youth Mayor campaigns for cheaper bus fares
Southend’s Youth Mayor, Adam Connolly, and his Deputy Alex Bright are leading a campaign by young people to reduce bus fares in Southend for 14 and 15 year olds.
Arriva, one of the local bus companies, charges adult fares for passengers aged 16 and over across its entire Southern Counties operating range, apart from in Southend, where 14 and 15 year olds are charged full fare.
In Southend, passengers aged between 14 and 16 can get cheaper fares, but only after buying a £5 Fairsaver card.
Acting on the advice of an Arriva representative, Mr Connolly and Mr Bright have started a petition to demonstrate support for their campaign, and Arriva has pledged to make a decision on fares in September. So far, the petition has 1,533 names.
Mr Connolly, who started his year in office in February, said: “It’s completely unfair that teenagers in Southend are being treated differently.
“All we are asking is that 14 and 15-year-olds from Southend are eligible for the same concessionary fares as their counterparts elsewhere in Arriva’s Southern Counties area.
“Young people in the Borough want an affordable and efficient bus service to help them get around but it shouldn’t cost them more than it costs teenagers living elsewhere in the south.
“I feel really strongly about this issue and I’m glad that Arriva appear to be taking it seriously.”
The campaign is backed by Southend Council, and the petition was formally presented at Thursday’s full council meeting by Cllr Ian Gilbert, the Council’s Youth Champion, and Cllr Mark Flewitt, the portfolio holder for Transport and Planning.
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Well done to the young people of this town, particularly the Youth Council for hghlighting this issue.
The bus companies do not provide value for money for the pupils and students who use their services. Having to PAY in order to receive a concessionary(not even HALF fare) is so unfair and a burden on parents. Southend council recently conducted a survey and study into travel needs in Southend in the future. (naturally carried out by consultants-well it IS Southend)This study did not consult with parents of children using the bus services. How does this make the findings quantitive OR qualitative?
Southend is the poor relation of the Bus companies’ services. It barely warrents a mention on their web sites, parents or students cannot download forms on line or pay on line.
Season tickets are not linked to term times (you can only purchase weekly or 4-weekly) Season tickets are vaild 24-7, but services on many routes do not operate at evenings or weekends.
The bus companies need to value the student population who support their services. If parents decided not to pay for their children’s travel, how much would their profits drop?
I have 3 secondary school children and am paying £97.50 every 4 weeks. As my eldest is now 16, that will rise. For his 17th birthday, he will get a car and I will use the £1000 I will save, for his insurance and he will drive his siblings to school.
Wake up Bus Companies, you are reliant on students. Term time tickets, on-line purchase, student concessions. YOU DO THIS IN ESSEX-WHY NOT HERE??????