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Youth Parliament members call for cheaper travel for youngsters
POLITICALLY-minded teens have called for transport concessions for young people.
Members of the Youth Parliament organised a meeting with councillors, representatives of the Government Office and transport authority Metro to discuss how transport affects youngster's lives.
The meeting, at Halifax Town Hall, asked for Metro to look into setting up a freedom pass system in Calderdale.
Usman Ali, deputy member of youth parliament for Calderdale, said: "School and education are free, so why do people have to pay hundreds of pounds a year to get to school?
"Having something like this would open up a gateway to local services.
"There is no point having after-school activities and youth centres if it is not accessible.
"Transport is a massive issue that we need to work on together."
He said the meeting discussed areas which have concessionary rates schemes, including Kent, which has a "freedom pass" of 50 a year, and Sheffield, where young people pay a flat rate of 40p per journey.
Two youth parliament members from Sheffield were at the meeting to explain how the system works in their city.
However, similar schemes have been branded unworkable in Calderdale because of the high cost involved.
"There's a massive issue of funding," said Usman, who attends Crossley Heath School.
The youth parliament would not be campaigning for free transport for young people, he said.
"We are not going to campaign for it for free because people don't really value it enough, a small contribution makes people value it more, but it is still affordable."
But he said any system needed to run across the whole of West Yorkshire.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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