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The groundbreaking
Kent Freedom Pass was launched by KCC in June 2007 and has been
a runaway success.
 Around 5000 young people took advantage of the
pass in the three district pilot phase.
The pass aims to tackle congestion on the school run, enable
young people to participate in out of school activities and improve
social mobility by enhancing school choice.
The Freedom Pass allows students aged between 11 and 16 years
old to purchase a pass for a one off fee of £50 and then travel
when and where they want on scheduled bus services in Kent. The
pass can be used for travel to school, for leisure activities or
simply meeting up with friends. The was initially trialled at
secondary schools in Canterbury,Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
The scheme means more freedom for young people to access schools
of their choice, to attend out of school activities and to have an
independent social life without relying on parents to drive them
around. Freedom is great news for motorists too, especially at peak
times, helping to tackle traffic congestion and pollution.
Around 100,000 trips are made each month using Freedom Passes,
with some 75 percent at peak time. Initial surveys suggest as many
as 27 per cent of students in the pilot areas are choosing to use
buses for travelling to school, for clubs and other activities.
The scheme was devised after discussion with the
Kent
Youth County Council who raised concerns about the lack of
affordable transport.
A great deal of credit should be given to bus operators in the
pilot areas. Through their efforts, Freedom was introduced very
efficiently in June 2007 with no additional capacity issues or
complaints despite an uplift of around 100,000 trips per month.
This is a tribute to partnership working between the county council
and bus operators which made this scheme such a success.
The Kent Freedom Pass has proved to be a hugely popular scheme
and will be extended further in June 2008 with a full countywide
roll out in 2009. |