Editorial: Affordable public transport is essential

As our main feature this week demonstrates (p14), a postcode lottery of transport costs and age brackets persists for young people. Return 6 bus fares for simple, regular bus journeys are typical. Nearly half of 16- to 18-year-olds find the costs of public transport hard to meet while provision itself is unreliable. Public transport, for many, enables access. So investment in youth facilities, while hugely welcome, will feel a bit hollow if unaffordable transport prevents teenagers from reaching them.

Moreover, better transport provision for the young chimes with other key government objectives. It eases access to education and training, crucial given plans to make this mandatory up to 18. And on the environment, incentivising public transport use among people on the cusp of the legal driving age should help reduce carbon emissions and stem the rise of the school run.