A GOVERNMENT minister says Barnsley is ‘leading the way’ thanks to a trailblazing scheme which has transformed travel for youngsters.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander paid a visit to Barnsley Interchange yesterday, praising the town’s MiCard scheme and unveiling plans to introduce a new fleet of electric buses.

The MiCard provides free bus travel for local youngsters aged five to 18 and 20,000-plus people have or are in the process of receiving their card, with numbers rising ‘every week’.

The minister also met young people who have reaped the benefits of the scheme.

She said: “I came to Barnsley because of the reintroduction of the MiCard scheme, which is transformative for young people in the region.

“I think that getting young people using buses and public transport - especially with cost-of-living pressures - is an important thing for the council to be doing here.

“Because they’re leading the way on this I wanted to meet with some of the young people the scheme has benefited and see with my own eyes what a difference it’s making.

“I was speaking to the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, who was talking about really exciting plans to improve the reliability and quality of bus services.

“We’ve also had some investment in electric buses, which is going to mean new vehicles out on the road in the next couple of years.

“These buses will be cleaner, quieter and much more comfortable.”