First Bus has introduced an immediate ban on all passengers aged 15 and under travelling without an adult after 6pm in Stoke-on-Trent, following a series of antisocial behaviour incidents since the government’s free travel scheme for children began on 1 August. The decision, announced on Friday, affects all bus services operated by the company in the city until further notice.
Incidents trigger safety concerns
The company said multiple incidents had occurred since the start of the scheme, including one involving more than 100 young people acting in an “intimidating and aggressive way” at Hanley bus station in the city centre. Police were called to the scene, according to Simon Mathieson, regional director at First Bus.
“Lots of my drivers, who want to do a good job, [were] feeling very unsafe; lots of passengers, trying to get home, [were] feeling very unsafe,” Mathieson told a journalist on BBC Radio Stoke. He noted a large uptake of the free travel offer by children in the area, describing it as a brilliant scheme to get people using buses.
One driver reported that children had been swinging on strap handles on the handrails of his bus and running up and down the vehicle while it was in motion. “That’s not really helping people feel like they can travel in safety and comfort,” Mathieson said. “Unfortunately – and very regretfully – because of the antisocial behaviour … We’ve made the decision to protect staff and other customers on the buses.”
Policy responses and criticism
The ban has drawn criticism from local officials. Cllr Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport at Stoke-on-Trent council, said it was disappointing that First Bus had decided to ban all unaccompanied under-16s in the evenings. “Sadly, the children paying the price are overwhelmingly the ones who did nothing wrong,” he said.
Gordon-McCusker questioned why more transport safety officers could not have been deployed to monitor affected routes instead. “It’s a real shame that First Bus felt that this was their only option … It’s certainly not the option I would have liked to see put in place.” He argued that the free travel scheme did not create the behaviour but “changed its geography”, moving antisocial behaviour from dispersed estates to the bus station where it is concentrated and visible.
He suggested that a greater police presence at the bus station might have allowed young people to continue benefiting from unlimited free bus travel during the summer holidays. “It’s certainly not fair,” he said. “I think it’s a crying shame that that freedom [to travel] has been taken away because of the unacceptable behaviour of a very small minority of young people.”
Context and broader measures
The ban comes amid wider debates about antisocial behaviour on public transport. Last year, the Liberal Democrats called for tougher action against “headphone dodgers” who play loud music on buses and trains, including fines of up to £1,000. The Scottish government is planning legislation to allow it to force people who benefit from its free bus travel scheme – including young people aged 5 to 21 – to abide by a forthcoming code of conduct, or have their right to concessionary travel withdrawn or suspended.
However, some argue that policies to prevent antisocial behaviour in public places are already disproportionate and can result in hefty fines. For example, a passenger at Waterloo station who put a coffee cup in a rubbish bag next to a “completely full” bin was recently fined £500 by a Lambeth council enforcement officer. An 86-year-old pensioner was fined £250 in Skegness, Lincolnshire, last year for spitting out a leaf after it blew into his mouth.
First Bus declined to be interviewed by the Guardian but said in a statement that the decision had been approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) and has the full support of the council. Drivers will continue to be able to exercise their discretion to provide free travel for unaccompanied children and young people if they are vulnerable or to ensure their safety.
A government spokesperson said: “Our Great British Summer Savings scheme allows kids under 15 to travel for free on participating services, to give families room to breathe and enjoy days out throughout August. The scheme rightly offers all local operators flexibilities to deal with issues like anti-social behaviour, such as the right to refuse travel or localised time restrictions.”
