A DISCOUNTED bus fare is being introduced to give teenagers in the Yorkshire Dales better access to work and social activities.

The scheme means young people can enjoy affordable travel at certain times and will be launched by The Dales Integrated Transport Alliance (DITA) tomorrow (Saturday, October 27).

The £1 fares are designed to give better access to holiday and weekend work and provide young people with greater independence.

DITA decided to launch the scheme after finding bus travel was expensive and limited for young people in rural areas.

Many have to rely on parents to drive them to social activities and have difficulty accessing work.

A recent report from the Commission for Rural Communities highlighted that transport can be a barrier to education and employment for many young people in rural areas as the cost of running a car is often prohibitive and public transport often unavailable.

The scheme will run after 5pm on weekdays and all day throughout weekends and during school holidays. Young people will need to have identification on them to prove their age.

DITA chair Helen Flynn, said: “Getting young people into the habit of regularly using available public transport will hopefully create the kind of sustainable transport network that we need to develop further - even in rural areas, such as the Dales.”

Full details of the scheme are available at dalesconnect.net

Where local buses are participating in the scheme, they will have a “One Way £1” logo on the front window.