Over the last few weeks, across Scotland, there have been numerous articles and reports from newspapers and media organisations about anti-social behaviour on buses, often involving young people.
This has sparked a heated debate. Politicians, journalists and concerned citizens have called for the government to look at potentially revoking bus passes from young people and ending free bus travel as a result of this behaviour.
From my consultations with my constituents, the young people of Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, an overwhelming majority have found the scheme to have a hugely positive impact, allowing them to attend education with greater ease, opening up employment opportunities and promoting a wider variety of activities and extracurriculars. Free bus travel's impact on their lives has been incredibly positive and cannot be overstated.
No individual regardless of age should be made to feel unsafe on public transport. Those who are repeatedly and deliberately violent or abusive on public transport should not have access to buses, especially not at the taxpayers expenses.
However, it is essential that we do not exclude young people as a group from transport.
Removing bus passes from young people will only exacerbate the root causes of what is driving this anti-social behaviour. Antisocial behaviour is largely attributable to boredom and the lack of purposeful opportunities which are accessible and affordable for all.
It would deepen the isolation young people already face, cutting many off from education, social activities and opportunities that lead to greater life chances and benefits for the community such as volunteering.
In Clackmannanshire, there is already a limited amount of options available, meaning any further cuts to the links between other areas would be detrimental.
Decision makers and those in power cannot expect behaviour to improve after they have hit young people with over a decade of austerity. Thousands of youth clubs shuttered, youth work budgets slashed and thousands of extra young people pushed into poverty. In Scotland alone, youth work budgets have been slashed by over £11 million since 2019. Since 2010, in Britain youth services have faced a real terms cut of 70%.
It is completely unrealistic to expect anti-social behaviour to improve when we continue to strip away the very services that offer young people constructive alternatives.
To decrease anti-social behaviour, we must tackle the root causes of it. Treating the symptoms won’t cut it, we must solve the actual issue. This requires properly funding youth work and extracurricular clubs/activities as well as taking the necessary steps to alleviate and support those in poverty. Supporting our young people to engage in these meaningful activities will make the community and public transport safer for everyone.
Clackmannanshire’s (and Scotland’s) young people have taken the brunt of 14 years of cuts and budget tightening. That is why I am calling on Clackmannanshire Council, in their upcoming budget for next financial year, to safeguard youth work and community learning and development from any further cuts or cost saving measures.
We can make our buses and communities safer here in Clackmannanshire and across Scotland, not by going backwards by revoking passes, but by going forwards by supporting young people to succeed and flourish in our local communities.
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