A POPULAR scheme giving teenagers cut-price bus travel is to be relaunched.

City of York Council first started the Yo Zone bus card initiative for youngsters aged 14 to 16 three years ago.

The card allows teenagers to travel on buses in York at child fares and is valid any time of the day or week for leisure journeys, as well as those to and from school.

The authority has extended the scheme to allow any youngster who is 16 or under to have a card.

Dave Pearson, the council's principal transport planner, said: "Although youngsters who are 13 and under are ordinarily entitled to pay only child fares, some children do have difficulty proving their age and we are now removing the lower age limit to allow any child to have a card."

Across the city, 30 per cent of all secondary school pupils travel to school by bus.

Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport, said: "The council is very aware of residents' concerns about the cost of bus travel.

"The Yo Zone card has been extremely popular, making it cheaper for young people to get around and benefiting family budgets by reducing the cost of travel to school.

"In relaunching the card we hope to extend these benefits to a wider number of younger people in York.