date: 14 February 2007

embargo: For immediate use

Unions and young person's campaign groups celebrate a travel victory in London

After two weeks of intensive lobbying by the TUC, by unions in London, by young person's campaign groups, by charities and by arts groups, the London Assembly voted this afternoon, (14 February), to retain the existing fares concession that allows London's under 18s, who are in full-time education, free use of buses and trams in the capital.

The decision came following a well attended and colourful demonstration outside City Hall this morning at which the strength of feeling and breadth of support was expressed to London Assembly members.

Megan Dobney, Regional Secretary for the TUC in London said:

'On the day after the Unicef report on children's well-being found the UK to be rock bottom of the league of the 21 so called 'advanced' countries it is scandalous that the Conservative Group on the London Assembly sought to worsen the situation by abolishing free bus and tram use for London's under 18s who are in full time education.

'Happily, the TUC led campaign attracted broad support and the coalition of unions and young person's campaign groups were able to persuade enough of the London Assembly Members that the fares concession is a value for money investment in London's future and that it is vital to the prospects of those children who are raised in hardship.'

The decision to retain the threatened fares concession has protected the benefit for 385,000 young people, o f these 269,000 are under 16 and 116,000 are 16 and 17.

It has been calculated that the fares concession saves London families up to £350 per child per year. This is especially important to those children and young adults who are raised in poverty. A fter housing costs are taken into consideration, 39 per cent of children in London are living in poverty, and that rises to 52 per cent in Inner London, where we face the greatest challenge in raising the levels of educational attainment.

The policy of free bus and tram use for London's under 18s who are in full-time education was part of Ken Livingstone's election manifesto, 2004. The fares concession was introduced in Autumn 2005. I n the first six months parents reported that, across London, 59 percent of all 14 and 15 year olds used the bus/tram more regularly.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Groups supporting the joint statement for the retention of the policy included: Amicus,

Association of Teachers and Lecturers, British Youth Council, Centrepoint, Child Poverty Action Group, Communication Workers' Union, Community, Family Welfare Association, GMB, Lambeth Council, London Play, London Youth, London Young Labour, Muslim Council of Britain, National Children's Bureau, National Union of Students, National Union of Teachers, Partnership for Young London, Partnership for Youth, PCS, Save the Children (London Management), SERTUC, Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, TUC Young Member's Forum, Transport and General Workers' Union, Unicorn Theatre, 'unionlearn', University and College Union, Unison, Working Families, Young Mayor of Lewisham and Young Voice. And thousands of individual Londoners have signed paper and on-line petitions in support of the retention of the fares concession to London's under 18s who are in full-time education.

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Press release (700 words) issued 14 Feb 2007