Childs bus pass

[katerich48]

As the TFL childrens travel pass is just to prove that the child is a student and too young to pay the bus fare - is it ok when the child loses or misplaces his pass to take his passport on the bus to show the inspector or bus driver thereby proving his age?..I ask because my 13 year old grandson recently misplaced his one day and an inspector issued him with a £50 fine!!!!! He looks like a normal 13year old child - not someone older who is trying to fiddle the fare....What sort of a man would issue a £50 fine to a school child...

[ojread2]

Ambiguous at best

[New Judge]

Apologies from me too. I was confusing the geographical requirement with that in place to allow older people to get a “Freedom Pass”.

However, there is no doubt that a 13-year old needs an Oyster card to travel. The following is taken from various places in the TfL “Conditions of Carriage”:


If you do not have a valid 11-15 Oyster photocard or do not have your Oyster photocard with you or your Oyster photocard has failed or is damaged, you will need to pay the relevant adult fare for your journey.

If you are travelling on one of our buses without a ticket that is valid and available for the journey you are making you may be issued with a Penalty fare or you may be prosecuted .

[ojread2]

Bit late, was waiting for other half to come home from work
I apologise also, not difficult I can assure you. He says if they get on with no pass some drivers may let them travel because it is easier than having abuse hurled at them :(. If they even look older than 10 travelling with an adult they must also pay the full fare
However, they pay the full adult fare (the fare is the same for children and adults alike) with no pass

Apparently, as well, TFL do not do children staff passes only spouse ones - so looks like I'll have to start paying for my daughter in 2 years time

[katerich48]

Thank you for all your answers - He did find the travel card when he got in from school that evening after he handed the penalty fine to his parents... The feeling that most people had when we asked them about this was "what sort of a !&!?/ would fine a CHILD and not just issue a caution...Also a child who does I can assure look no more than 13 e.g. 5"2 and slim build in a school uniform...Why not issue a caution and then check that the child does have a travel card in which case nothing further would be done ..He wasn't abusive to the inspector - he gave him all his details....Whereas I was on a bus one day where some people were discussing bus inspectors and one man said "I have run out of false names to give them" and laughed..My grandson did nothing except tell the truth...His parents were also concerned that he was taken off the bus by a man in plain clothes and asked for all of his personal details - She has told her son if it should ever happen again...He is to refuse to say anything until a policeman is called..One lady on here said her husband used to be an inspector - well you can't tell me if a child got on that he knew personally without a childs travel card he would have just cautioned him...At the end of the day you are effectively fining the parents who have done nothing wrong. not the child... And for anyone who is going to come on and say parents should have made sure he had it - you try getting 3 boys ready for school (and yourself for work)..Its enough to have to remember have they got p.e.kits, homework reading records etc.,FYI every time the pass is replaced it costs £10.00