Following discussions with parents and members of our community, we've listened to the feedback and introduced straightforward identification measures that balance the Department for Transport's scheme with our responsibility to safeguard young people.

 

Free Travel for Children and Young People 5-15 years old  Identification & Safeguarding Guidance.​

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Brylaine is delighted to support the Department for Transport's free travel initiative for children and young people.

As a family-run operator serving communities across Lincolnshire, we also have an important responsibility to safeguard the children and young people who travel with us. Many of our services operate over long rural distances, and our drivers cannot reasonably be expected to know every child who boards or accurately determine their age. 

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The following guidance has therefore been introduced to help our drivers apply the Department for Transport's scheme fairly, consistently and with the safety and wellbeing of young passengers in mind.

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Children aged 0–5

• Up to three children under the age of five may travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult or concessionary pass holder.

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Children aged 5–11

• Children aged 5–11 may travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, concessionary pass holder or a responsible person aged 16 or over who is supervising their journey.

 

Young people aged 12–15

To travel free of charge and without supervision, young people aged 12–15 will be asked to provide reasonable proof of their age to confirm that they qualify under the Department for Transport scheme. This may include any of the following: 

• A Brylaine Smartcard.

• A secondary school lanyard, school pass, house card or other official school identification.

• A Lincolnshire County Council education transport pass.

• A CitizenCard, PASS-accredited proof of age card or Yoti digital ID.

• A passport, or a clear photograph of a passport on a smartphone showing the date of birth.

• A school photograph displayed within a school's parent app or online portal, where the child's name is visible.

• A local authority or concessionary travel pass displaying the child's name and school 

• An official national identity card (where applicable).

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If none of the above is available, a parent or guardian may accompany the child onto the bus and confirm to the driver that the child has permission to travel and is of the appropriate age.

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Our drivers will NOT retain, photograph or record any identification presented. It will simply be viewed to confirm eligibility before boarding.

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Tickets

A ticket will be issued for the outward journey. We ask that children retain this ticket throughout the day, as it will assist our drivers when making the return journey and help confirm that they have already travelled under the scheme. A return ticket will then be issued as appropriate.

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Helping Us Keep Children Safe

For added peace of mind, we encourage parents and guardians to ensure that their child carries an emergency contact number and knows their full home address should they ever require assistance during their journey.

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While the Department for Transport's scheme enables children aged 5–15 to travel free of charge, Brylaine also has a responsibility to safeguard the young people travelling on our network. These measures are here to give parents confidence, provide our drivers with clear and consistent guidance, and ensure that the scheme is operated safely and fairly for everyone.

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Brylaine reserves the right to make reasonable enquiries where there are genuine safeguarding concerns regarding a child's age, welfare, destination or whether they are travelling with the knowledge of a parent or guardian. Also that they are travelling within the age parameters of the scheme. Any such enquiries or decisions will always be made in the best interests of the child.

We hope parents and guardians will understand and support these simple procedures as we work together to provide safe, accessible and enjoyable travel for all.