Anyway, this commuting lark does give you an opportunity to reflect on transport issues. At least I can afford to run a car (we're talking pre-Government pay-per-mile plans), which gives me freedom and flexibility to get where I need to get to more or less when I need to.
Not so for many young people. They're reliant on others. Or public transport.
Public transport is emerging as a big issue with the young. Findings from the recent NYA-organised Cutting the Cake dialogues between young people and Treasury and Department for Education and Skills officials as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review put it firmly in the top 10 of the messages to Government. Basically, it costs too much and is a real barrier to their inclusion and involvement. Nearly half of 16- to 18-year-olds find the costs hard to meet.
It seems such a fundamental issue. In its recent Spotlight briefing paper, The NYA called for a uniform pricing structure for young people across the UK (as the Scottish Executive has implemented for Scotland) and highlighted the importance of consulting them about their transport needs.
One 16-year-old, Daniel Wilson from Birmingham, told Gordon Brown at the Cutting the Cake event: "You've got free transport here in London; we want it in Birmingham too." In fact though, free bus and tram transport in London for under-18s in full-time education is under threat and young people and supporting groups are campaigning hard to retain it.
Meanwhile, The NYA is carrying out research to map the published information around young people and bus services. And, in the longer term, to explore young people-led campaigns to improve services. Young people have waited ages for this. Let's not miss the bus.
