A petition has been launched to scrap the removal of free travel on Transport For London for Under 18s.
As part of a recent £1.6 billion bailout scheme by the government, TfL were forced to temporarily suspend free travel for under 18s meaning minors in London would have to pay for travel when they return to school in September. Since it was announced, many teachers and pupils have expressed their concerns over removing free travel for young Londoners.
The petition, which has received over 115,000 signatures, is urging to government to reverse the decision as the removal of free travel will have a serious impact on children from disadvantaged households.
“By scrapping this as part of a £1.6bn TfL bailout package, those from poorer backgrounds will be forced to pay to go to school,” the description for the petition reads.
“This will impact those who cannot freely travel to school (driving, cycling or walking) . As there are fines put in place for children who do not return to school in September 2020, this will further increase economic problems for many families in the UK.
“This will increase poverty within the UK, causing more people from poorer backgrounds to fall further into debt.
For more information and to sign the petition, click here.