APPLICATIONS from youngsters for a free bus travel pass are coming in fast, according to Barnsley Council.
Young people are able to access free bus travel from Monday to Sunday, between 7am and 9pm, as long as the journey starts or ends in the Barnsley area and is within South Yorkshire as part of the MiCard scheme.
The pilot in Barnsley will run for two years thanks to the council’s £5m investment, alongside an additional £1m in funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
According to take-up figures, there has been a ’sharp rise’ in applications recently, with up to 1,400 a week.
More than 15,350 youngsters have their pass and have enabled more than 159,000 trips.
A council statement said: “Officers continue to work closely with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority colleagues and delivery partners to assess the data, which will enable further updates to members.”
