Bus travel boost for High Peak students

Mayor Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, confirmed a deal in principle with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Mayor, Andy Burnham, to support free bus travel into college in Greater Manchester for students living in High Peak during her campaign to become East Midlands Mayor.Mayor Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, confirmed a deal in principle with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Mayor, Andy Burnham, to support free bus travel into college in Greater Manchester for students living in High Peak during her campaign to become East Midlands Mayor.
Mayor Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, confirmed a deal in principle with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Mayor, Andy Burnham, to support free bus travel into college in Greater Manchester for students living in High Peak during her campaign to become East Midlands Mayor.
Hundreds of students in the High Peak are set to benefit from free bus travel to colleges in the Manchester area next term.

Mayor Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, confirmed a deal in principle with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Mayor, Andy Burnham, to support free bus travel into college in Greater Manchester for students living in High Peak during her campaign to become East Midlands Mayor.

Now Mayor Claire has announced a proposal to launch a pilot in September, at the start of the new academic year, which could save students and their families hundreds of pounds a year in travel costs. The pilot would apply to eligible Derbyshire students travelling on direct bus services to colleges in the GMCA area.

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Claire said: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to identify a way forward for Derbyshire students who need to travel to the Manchester area to study.

“It’s simply unfair that the lack of further education provision in the High Peak means young people get a worse deal than others in the county.”

Because of the complexity of agreeing a formal scheme with new bus passes, East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is finalising negotiations with the bus companies who provide the five direct services to colleges to allow free travel to Manchester area colleges from September, with the initiative set for imminent approval.

For the trial EMCCA is proposing that students will simply be asked to show their college ID card and their b_line2 card to the bus driver at the start of their journey.

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Claire added: “It will take some months to finalise some of the practical and technical details needed for a more comprehensive scheme, but I didn’t want students to have to wait until next year to get the support they need, so we’ve proposed a way forward with bus operators and Derbyshire County Council that will allow us to do the behind-the-scenes work.

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“I’m very pleased we’ve been able to agree a way forward with Derbyshire County Council that will benefit our young people.

“It makes good economic sense to support as many students as we can to travel to the colleges where they want to study and learn. It’s one of my priorities to make sure everyone gets the skills they need and this is one practical way to help us achieve this for the East Midlands.”

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