Belfast city council is calling for a pilot run of free public transport for young people across the city.
Every party but the DUP supported a motion from Green Party councillor Brian Smyth on the issue at January’s full council meeting.
It means the council will now write to Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon and Translink calling on them to trial giving youngsters free access to the city’s buses, trains and Gliders.
East Belfast representative Cllr Smyth believes it could make a huge difference to both the environment and families across the city with some even paying for the bus to school.
He told Belfast Live: “I am delighted the motion passed.
“The majority of political parties in the city were broadly in favour of it, with the DUP abstaining.
“What I’ve said all along is that this should be the beginning of a public and political conversation on our public transport and how it goes beyond simply moving people around.
“It has impacts on climate, air pollution, social mobility and improving access to the jobs market as well as a measure on tackling poverty and support low paid families.
“We all know what the problems are in Northern Ireland, I want to focus on possible solutions to the big challenges we face as a society and I believe that this can be one.”
The motion passed with a Sinn Fein amendment which included black taxis.
Currently, children aged five to 16 pay half fare on Northern Ireland’s trains, buses and Gliders.
The Minister told us the existing Concessionary Fare Scheme “is underfunded in terms of allocations made to the department” but that she will “continue to make the case at the Executive for proper funding of our public transport network and how this is critical if we are serious about tackling the climate crisis”.
Translink says it is “supportive of any policy that increases the use of public transport”.
“We believe such a step would be instrumental in helping to tackle climate change both in the short and long-term, playing its’ role in forming life-long active travel habits for a Net Zero Northern Ireland, in keeping with NI Executive ambitions,” their spokesperson added.
