Barnsley MiCard enables 1 million free bus journeys for children and young people

Barnsley MiCard scheme has reached another monumental milestone, with 1 million journeys made by children and young people since its launch in August.

Part of our Great Childhoods Ambition, this scheme is one of the first initiatives of its kind in England, enabling children and young people become more independent, develop life skills, and connect with friends, family, and the many opportunities available across our borough and South Yorkshire.

Some of the other key highlights include:

• 17,602 children and young people have or are in the process of receiving their Barnsley MiCard, with that number continuing to rise each week.
• Total child and young people travel in Barnsley (including journeys with and without Barnsley MiCard), has increased by 54% when compared to the same period in 2024-25.
• 63% of all boardings occurred in the borough’s three most deprived neighbourhoods, benefiting those who need it most.
• The most popular route continued to be the 66 service from Barnsley to Elsecar.

Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: “Barnsley MiCard is making a huge difference to our young residents and families, and it’s great to see that the take up is continuing to rise.

“By offering free bus travel for under 18s, the scheme not only eases financial pressures on families but also opens up greater access for children and young people to the many opportunities available across Barnsley and South Yorkshire.

“With the newly opened Base71 Youth Zone just opposite the Barnsley Interchange, Barnsley MiCard is helping children and young people from across the borough travel more easily and independently to these fantastic new facilities.”

Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: “We made a big step forward in relaunching MiCard in Barnsley and there are a million good reasons why we did it.

“The two-year pilot is one of the first of its kind in the country, and after just a few months it’s already doing exactly what we hoped it would: opening doors for young people, helping them to get to school, keeping bus services running and taking traffic off the roads.

“That's why I’ll continue to work to bring back free travel for under 18s beyond that pilot, for the long-term, not just in Barnsley but across South Yorkshire. Our next generation deserve the best start in life. Giving them the freedom to get where they want to go is one simple but vital way we can give them that chance.”

Last year, together with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, we launched Barnsley MiCard free bus travel scheme for anyone aged 5 to 18 living in Barnsley, giving access to enjoy free bus travel from Monday to Sunday, between 7am and 9pm, as long as the journey starts or ends in Barnsley local authority area and is within South Yorkshire. 

Barnsley MiCard scheme was made possible thanks to £5 million investment from Barnsley Council, alongside an additional funding of up to £1 million from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. 

All local bus operators in Barnsley, including Stagecoach, Globe Holidays, South Pennine Community Transport, Hodgsons Travel, Chad Healey European, LL Travel and Wilfreda Beehive are participating in the scheme. Passengers can use Barnsley MiCard on services provided by any of these operators where the route is on the public network.

For more about the Barnsley MiCard scheme and applications, including frequently asked questions, please visit the Travel South Yorkshire website.