Business · 26 September 2026
Kids without smartphones pay £546 more for bus fares.
Photo by Wellington Silva on Pexels
Schoolchildren without smartphones will need to pay hundreds of pounds more for annual bus fares, as the cheaper passes are now exclusively digital. For example, an 11-year-old in Derbyshire could pay an extra £546 a year as a discount is only available via an app. Campaigners say this penalises poorer households and undermines efforts to reduce children's screen time.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs