Free Travel in London

[jamesnan]

On the news this evening Boris Johnson mentioned taking away the free travel in London, which apparently a lot of the rioters receive.
I didn't even know they got free travel.

[Postdog]

I assume they still do, but going on an awayday to cause trouble is nothing new. I used to live in Loughton Essex which is a reasonable nice area on the outskirts of London. Many years ago we we plagued by kids using the free travel to cause havoc there instead of where they lived.

[237SJ]

Under 16s get free travel on buses and trams on London transport.

[Hopkirk]

Who had the stupid idea of giving u16s free travel in the first place?

[ansalia]

On the one hand it is sickening that such peo0ple get free travel on the other marginalising them furthe won't do much good either. It is time to "get on your bike" youngsters!!!

[emmie]

The youngsters get free travel under 16, because they are supposed to be at school, the fares can be crippling to parents with children.

[emmie]

even with an oyster card you could be talking £ 10 per week or more per child, to go back and forth to school. I think it was introduced by the Labour government, as it seem to go back sometime before the current crop.

[sandyRoe]

Couldn't the hours when it's available be restricted? If it was operating from 7 am to 6 pm on weekdays they could still get to their schools and then home.

[Dee Sa]

Ken Livingstone started it. now the lazy little [and big] bu**ers wont walk even one stop and the language is foul they try and push each other off when the doors open and they like to disrupt as much as possible making your journey a nightmare, as kids we walked for miles so we could spend our bus fare on sweets &crisps etc.

[emmie]

Dee sa i did use the bus as a child into a teen as the school was to far to walk, and all my mates were the same. Now the costs can be high if you have two or three children going to school.
By the way, i thought should mention that the elderly that's over 60's, get free travel passes, and not just in London, my ma does, must admit though their bus service is crap.

[Dee Sa]

em10 I hope I didnt offend everyone, I was not meaning kids that need to use the bus for longer journeys I am talking about the ones on my route who only go one or at the most two stops and in that short time have caused mayhem and such bad language and mainly from the girls, thank God for the school holidays.
Yes I get a free OAP bus pass and though I dont use it very much I am very grateful when I want to make the odd trip into central London.

[emmie]

Dee sa none taken, i have witnessed more abuse from adults on buses, but the children can be a pain in the derriere i confess. One man, a right charmer, sat there swearing at full volume, and finally some of the passengers, me included had enough, he'd been going for 40 minutes mind you, so we put him off at a bus stop, he was still swearing as we pulled away. In far distant days the driver would have done something, but not now.