Children under the age of 16 are to be offered free bus travel across the summer.

It is expected to benefit up to 150,000 children living in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset.

The offer, backed by the West of England Combined Authority and funded through a £13.5m government transport grant, will run from 19 July to 5 September. Bus travel for children aged from five to 15 is currently capped at £1 per journey.

The new regional mayor, Labour's Helen Godwin, said she wanted families to have "something to look forward to" in the summer. The move was backed by Bristol's Green council.

Mrs Godwin launched the initiative at a play park in Hengrove, describing it as a much-needed boost for families facing mounting living costs. "We really want all families across the West of England to have something to look forward to this summer," she said. "Hopefully this will feel like a bit of a help."

The mother of three highlighted the burden transport costs place on families. "If my husband and three kids wanted to go and do something, you're talking about over £15 for us to go out. It's quite a lot of money."

The initiative is designed to help children visit friends, explore local attractions, and access free summer events.

Kate Marsh, the head teacher of Perry Court E-ACT Academy, said the offer would be "fantastic" for families who rely on buses. "It opens up a lot more options to them - visiting parks, family, museums and seeing friends… This will help with mental wellbeing as well as a benefit for their education."

The scheme, which still requires final approval, builds on a wider push to boost public transport use. It follows a recent birthday-month free bus pass scheme for all West of England residents.

Bristol City Council leader and Green Party councillor Tony Dyer said the plan would reduce barriers for young people seeking out opportunities. "We fully support this initiative… With so many events and activities happening across Bristol this summer, this will help make accessing them much easier."

The free travel scheme will apply to most local services, though some, such as airport routes, will be exempt.

West of England children's bus tickets capped at £1 until 2029

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Helen Godwin, mayor of the West of England (centre) said passengers deserved an "affordable, reliable and accessible" transport network

A £1 cap on child bus tickets has been extended until spring 2029.

The West of England Combined Authority (Weca) announced the three-year extension of the initiative as part of a wider fares support package for bus passengers.

The multi-operator fare cap, free bus travel for care leavers up to the age of 25, the Youth Guarantee free bus pass and the Diamond Pass to allow pensioners and disabled passengers to travel for free will also be extended following funding from the Department of Transport.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: "We're determined to support the delivery of affordable, reliable and accessible transport networks that passengers deserve."

According to Weca, the £1 child fare cap - which was introduced in September 2022 for anyone aged between five and 15 years old across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset - has already saved families across the region about £1.1m in the last year.

The authority has also allowed children to travel for free during the summer and Christmas half term holidays since June 2025.

Tony Dyer, leader of Bristol City Council, said he was "pleased" to see the extension of several money-saving schemes which would encourage more people to travel by bus. "We will continue working with the Mayoral Combined Authority, bus operators and neighbouring councils to deliver reliable and affordable services," he added.

North Somerset councillor Hugh Malyan said: "Extension of these schemes will mean increased access to services for many, and at the same time support wider ambitions for a cleaner, more sustainable and inclusive transport network for the future."

Over the coming weeks, Weca is set to consult residents on its developing Bus Plan to enable the community to work together to build a more reliable bus network, which was earmarked as a priority for the region.

Elsewhere, the authority's Transport Vision plan which was announced last month also aims to transform public transport services across the region, with proposals to implement an extended rail network, a mass transit system, safer active travel and improved streets.

Bristol, Weston and Bath's free kids' holiday bus travel extended for three years

Children will be able to travel for free on buses across the West of England during school holidays for the next three years, it has been confirmed.

Helen Godwin, mayor for the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), introduced the scheme for under 16s shortly after being elected a year ago. It has now been extended to cover the summer, Easter and Christmas holidays until 2029.

It comes as research suggests the offer is having the biggest impact on young people in most deprived areas of the region.

Samira Musse, a mum from Barton Hill, said: "Every child was just excited to ride the bus. It gives them that freedom, that confidence to go somewhere by themselves with their friends."

About 1.4 million free journeys took place in the first trial year of the scheme, costing Weca £1.4m.

Research from the University of Bristol suggests the scheme was used more in the most deprived parts of the region. Average bus use increased by 32% during the scheme, this compares to a 56% rise in Lawrence Hill, and Hartcliffe saw a 130% spike, researchers found.

Musse, who is also a director of Barton Hill activity club, said she had heard stories of families using the scheme to visit new places. "Someone was telling us they went four times in one summer to Weston, they've never been before because they can't afford it," she added. "It's amazing - that opportunity for people to explore the city they live in with less cost."

The researchers recommended extending eligibility up to 18-year-olds, and extending it beyond the school holidays.

Neither of these ideas are currently being implemented because of the potential cost, though Godwin has previously indicated she would be in favour. "It gets people out and about," said Godwin, arguing that areas such as Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Yate had all seen increased footfall when the scheme was in place.

Funding for the scheme over the next three years will come from a £42m bus grant, which has been given to the combined authority by government for the mayor to distribute how she likes. The money will also be spent on discounts such as capping kids' fares at £1, free travel for care leavers, the Diamond pass for older and disabled bus users and to support bus services which are not commercially viable.