Half Fare Scheme will help 20,000 West Yorkshire 16-18 year olds 'Get On'

To get the new PhotoCard, 16 to 18 year olds will initially be asked to apply at Bus Station Travel Centres. There is a one-off charge of �5 to cover the cost of the card. They will then be sent their new card a few days later.

Launching the new 16-18 PhotoCard, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Chair, Cllr Peter Box said:��Improving young people�s access to apprenticeships, training and good quality jobs is a key part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority�s ambition to create and support a flexible workforce with skills that meet local employers� requirements.�

�The simple message to 16 to 18 year-olds and their families is that getting a 16-18 PhotoCard that enables them to get on the bus or train for half fare will help them access the apprenticeships and training opportunities we�re creating. And those opportunities lead to getting the good quality jobs we want to see resulting from ongoing growth in the City Region�s economy."

West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee Chair, Cllr Keith Wakefield said:��West Yorkshire Combined Authority already spends around �55m each year providing concessionary travel for 300,000 young, senior and disabled people.�

�Extending half fare to a further 22,000 16-18 year-olds across the county means we can help address the financial constraints they face and make it possible to connect them with educational and vocational opportunities for their future.

�As the poster says, they can literally get one and get on.�

LEP Chair, Roger Marsh OBE said:��Through the LEP�s apprenticeship programme we have supported over 2,000 young people to take up an apprenticeship across the region. The new 16-18 card will help remove barriers for young people looking to embark on new apprenticeship and employment opportunities and helps open the door to access good quality, skilled jobs in the future.�

�Supporting businesses to take on an apprentice is a key priority outlined in the joint LEP and Combined Authority Skills Plan, to support business and economic growth and provide excellent career opportunities for young people. I hope this concessionary travel will encourage more young people to explore the benefits of earning and learning simultaneously.�

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Young people can get their new card from the Travel Centre at Bradford Interchange and Castleford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Keighley, Leeds, Pontefract and Wakefield bus stations. They need to provide proof of identity and age such as a passport or birth certificate, proof they live in West Yorkshire such as a bank statement and the �5 fee. They also need a recent colour, passport-type photograph of themselves but most Bus Station Travel Centres have a webcam and will be able to take the photo when processing the application.

Details can be found on Metro website (opens in new window).�

Online applications will be rolled out in 2016 but the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which coordinates the county�s transport, did not want to delay the scheme�s benefits by waiting for the technology to be in place.�

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