Get a move on!

All Metro Mayors now have greater powers to develop apprenticeship discount travel schemes for bus journeys because of additional powers over bus services granted to Mayoral Combined Authorities through the Bus Services Act. Below we set out some examples of where MCAs have been taking advantage of these new powers and we also highlight how the Greater London Authority has used its long-standing regulatory role on transport across the capital to provide discounts for apprentices.

However, we also show that local authorities in England that do not have MCA status can also do much to provide discounted travel arrangements for apprentices. And we also highlight that where there is political will, the apprenticeship discount can be extended to other forms of public transport, in particular overland and underground rail travel. Based on the information that is available about existing discount schemes, we have highlighted a range of best practice options that can be drawn on to develop a national entitlement that the government could, and should, roll out as soon as possible.

The Liverpool City Region scheme

The apprentice transport discount initiative introduced by Liverpool City Region (LCR) in November of last year is a highly equitable and simple scheme which the TUC has positively welcomed. This Mayoral Combined Authority covers six local authorities – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. The new Apprentice Travelcard entitles apprentices aged 19-24 to half-price travel on the same terms as the existing discount for 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education or training. The discount applies to all bus operators in the Liverpool City Region and is a joint venture between LCR and the Bus Alliance (comprising Merseytravel, Stagecoach and Arriva). In July 2019 LCR announced that the Apprentice Travelcard also covers now rail travel. In effect this means that all apprentices in Liverpool City Region aged 16-24 are now entitled to half-price weekly and four-weekly bus passes and weekly and monthly season tickets for trains.

According to the Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, the new travel discount scheme means that all apprentices aged 16-24 in the region will be able to save up to £420 per year if they utilise the discount fully and up to £680 a year on train travel. He said that “the cost of travel has been putting some young people off taking up apprenticeship opportunities, which is why I am so pleased that we have been able to introduce this discounted scheme.” He also highlighted that “devolution gives us the opportunity to do things differently, to take greater control of our buses” and this has been a major factor in empowering the Mayor to be able to come to an agreement with the bus providers on the new apprenticeship discount.

The Greater London Authority scheme

Greater London is one part of the country where an authority has retained full control of the public transport system and where deregulation has been largely kept at bay through the role of Transport for London (TfL). The remit of TfL is also very extensive as it has responsibility for most of the public transport system, including the London tube, buses, trams and some parts of the rail system. The automated Oyster card ticketing scheme (which can also be accessed via use of contactless bank cards) extends across all forms of public transport in London, including the commuter rail networks running into and throughout London.

The automated Oyster ticketing scheme enables the London Mayor, in partnership with TfL, to easily apply a range of discounts for particular groups, including apprentices and students. The Oyster card scheme has a number of discounts that apprentices have access to. For apprentices aged 16 and 17 there is the 16+ Zip Oyster card which provides 50 per cent off bus/tube journeys and most rail journeys. However, if you are aged 16 and 17 and resident in a London borough the 16+ Zip Oyster card provides completely free travel on buses and trams and 50 per cent off tube journeys and most rail journeys. For apprentices aged 16-17, this is the most generous discount scheme that we are aware of across England.

There is also an Oyster discount scheme offered to London apprentices aged 18 and over, but this is limited to the first year of the apprenticeship. If you are aged 18 and over, live in a London borough and are in your first year of an apprenticeship, you can get discounted travel with an Apprentice Oyster photocard. This allows you to get a 30 per cent discount on travelcards and season tickets covering all modes of transport in the capital. However, in the second and subsequent years of the apprenticeship individuals have to pay full adult fares on all public transport, unlike full-time FE/HE students who have an entitlement to this discount for the duration of their course.

If you have a national young person’s railcard, you can also ask TfL to load this onto your Oyster card and this gives you a 34 per cent discount on off-peak pay as you go fares and off-peak daily fare caps on most forms of public transport in the capital.

Other innovative approaches

Some other Combined Authorities and local authorities are also developing a range of discount schemes for apprentices, including the following examples:

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester are offering apprentices within the first 6 months of their apprenticeship a range of benefits, including:

• Completely free bus travel for 4 weeks (£120 saving) followed by a sliding-scale discount for subsequent three 4-week periods which respectively provide savings of £95, £70 and £45
•  If an apprentice would prefer to cycle and doesn’t have a bike, they can take up an offer of a refurbished bike which has been fully repaired and checked along with a free helmet, lock, hi-vis jacket, lights (and access to free cycle safety training if required). After 3 months apprentices are able to keep the bike and accessories for ever
• Access to a free electronic Personalised Travel Plan setting out the best routes for journeys by public transport, cycling or walking.
• Greater Manchester will shortly be introducing a new scheme – Our Pass – providing completely free bus travel to all young people aged 16-18 that will offer annual savings in excess of £500.

West Midlands Combined Authority and Transport for West Midlands are offering apprentices aged 16-18:

• The equivalent travel discount that was previously only available to school and college students. The 16-18 photocard is now available to everyone in this age group regardless of their educational/employment status and it allows them to continue to buy child single, return and season tickets for the bus, train and tram (and thereby saving up to 50 per cent)
• The photocard is free to order and it is Swift-enabled, meaning there is no need for a paper ticket

Since November 2015 half-fare bus and train travel was extended to all 16-18-year-olds living in West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The change was part of plans by the Combined Authority to increase young people’s access to apprenticeships and training.

Gloucestershire County Council offers an apprenticeship travel discount scheme called Thinksmart. If you are a resident of Gloucestershire, employed in a Gloucestershire apprenticeship and are aged 16-24, you can apply for a Thinksmart bus pass for journeys to and from your workplace/college. The bus pass allows the apprentice to travel free of charge for up to 100 journeys on local bus services in Gloucestershire over the period of their apprenticeship.