Bus fares for all 5 to 21-year-olds in Rhondda Cynon Taf will be capped at a maximum cost of £1 for a single journey from September 1. This will apply during September and October 2025, and directly precedes the scheme being fully rolled out as a national Welsh Government initiative from November.
The Council was pleased to announce this local initiative earlier this month, ensuring the £1 offer applies to everyone under the age of 21 – using funding that has been secured from UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
What will the changes be from September 2025?
Welsh Government will introduce the £1 initiative for 16 to 21-year-olds, applying across all of Wales for a year, starting from September 1.
All people in this age group, including when travelling in Rhondda Cynon Taf, will need to show their ‘My Travel Pass’ to take advantage of the £1 travel offer from September 1. Find out more about ‘My Travel Pass’ here.
Welsh Government will then extend the initiative to everyone under the age of 21, from November 2. The Council’s local scheme runs from September 1 to November 1, and therefore ensures all 5 to 15-year-olds travelling in Rhondda Cynon Taf will receive the offer two months early.
No ID is required for the 5 to 15-year-old age group. These young people will simply need to buy a child single ticket to their destination (which will cost no more than £1 for all single individual journeys that start and end within Rhondda Cynon Taf).
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “The Council has an excellent track record of providing subsidised bus travel at key times of the year, to help families access public transport at a time when the cost of living remains very high. We’ve done this seven times since 2023, including the current £1.50 maximum fare running during the school summer holiday, up until August 31. We’ve also recently confirmed that this offer will return for the festive period ahead, running for the entire month of December 2025.
“In addition, from September 1 to November 1, we’ll be introducing a £1 travel initiative for young people, specifically for those aged 5 to 15 – before this becomes a national initiative from November 2. It means that, thanks to the separate initiatives by the Council and Welsh Government, all young people under the age of 21, whose individual journeys start and end within Rhondda Cynon Taf, will receive the £1 travel offer from September 1.
“We continue to welcome funding support from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, to continue to bring forward bus travel initiatives in Rhondda Cynon Taf. This partnership approach aims to encourage more people to use public transport as part of their everyday journeys, helping to break economic barriers that may prevent some people from doing so. Our initiatives also aim to unlock other key advantages such as improving the environment, reducing traffic congestion, and encouraging people to shop locally in our retail areas.”
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, from the UK Government, has been allocated to Local Authorities to help introduce initiatives that will reduce the cost of living for residents. This will be achieved through measures that improve energy efficiency, and combat fuel poverty and climate change.
Posted on 27/08/2025