KCC 16+ Travel Saver
Direct Debit payments for the Kent Travel Saver and the 16+ Travel Saver will be cancelled in January and February due to the national lockdown. Please do not cancel your Direct Debit agreement as you won't then be able to use the pass when schools reopen.
Vulnerable children and those of critical workers will still be able to use their pass to travel to school. Compensation for those that have paid upfront will be made once a decision is made by the government on when all children may return to school.
If you are unhappy about how we are handling this, you can provide your comments using our formal complaints process.
The KCC 16+ Travel Saver is a bus pass that can save parents and students up to 50% on the cost of bus travel to and from school and college.
Before you apply please read our guidance to help you decide if you will save money with the Travel Saver Pass this year.
To apply for a pass you must be:
- a resident of Kent (whose household pays Council Tax to a Kent district/ borough council for Kent County Council services)
- 16-19 years old and in academic years 12-14 (to be eligible your date of birth must be between 01/09/2001 and 31/08/2004)
- attending a participating school, college, work-based learning provider or apprenticeship provider.
For most students, this pass will save you around 50% of what you might otherwise pay if you bought an annual season ticket from a bus operator.
The KCC 16+ Travel Saver is valid at any time of the day and on any day of the year, including evenings, weekends and school holidays.
16+ Travel Saver applications and COVID-19
We still want to help parents and students with the cost if you need to travel by bus. Before you apply there are some things you should think about.
- Current government advice is to avoid public transport, so we are urging parents to use alternative transport where possible.
- If children live close to the school they should walk or cycle, for those that live further away they should consider getting a lift.
- How any changes to school times and social distancing on buses might affect use of the pass.
- If you are traveling less frequently, you might not save as much as usual and you might want to consider getting bus tickets from the operator.
If you are going to be travelling regularly then apply for the pass and let us help you with the cost.
Update on part year passes
We understand that it has been a difficult decision to make about applying for a 16+ Travel Saver pass this year.
We have said if government guidance changes, and there are less restrictions on bus travel, we will consider making a part year pass available later on in the year at a cost that reflects the shorter time you would use it for.
At this point, advice remains to avoid public transport where possible. While buses are working well and there is space for current passengers, some services are very busy. Therefore we don’t think it would be right to make this offer and risk causing capacity problems for those already using buses.
If the government guidance changes, making a part year pass does remain an option. In the meantime, you can buy tickets from the operator or make different transport arrangements.
Lost and stolen passes
You can order a replacement online if your pass has been lost, stolen or damaged. You just need your details and a credit or debit card to pay the £10 replacement fee.
