Free bus travel for under 22s

The Scottish Government has announced plans to begin the new Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme from 31 January 2022.

We recognise that some families are having difficulty applying online for free bus travel.  This is what we are doing in Moray to help:-

For children aged 5 to 10 attending a primary school who do not have a National Entitlement Card (Junior Card)

• If you have applied via ParentsPortal, your application is being processed and your child will receive a Junior Card in the post soon
• If you have not applied via ParentsPortal or are having difficulty with Get Your NEC, you can also now apply using a form available from your child’s primary school

For young people aged 11 to 15 attending a secondary school who have a Young Scot Card/National Entitlement Card

• If you have applied via Get Your NEC, your application is being processed and your child will receive a replacement Young Scot Card in the post soon.  Your child will need to visit the school office with their card to have it activated on the school cashless catering system
• If you are having difficulty with Get Your NEC, you can also now apply using a form available from your child’s secondary school

For young people aged 16 year and over and still attending a secondary school who have a Young Scot Card/National Entitlement Card

• If you have applied via Get Your NEC, your application is being processed and you will receive a replacement Young Scot Card in the post soon.  You will need to visit the school office with your card to have it activated on the school cashless catering system
• If you are having difficulty with Get Your NEC, you can also now apply using a form available from your child’s secondary school

For young people attending a secondary school who do not have a Young Scot Card/National Entitlement Card

• If you have applied via Get Your NEC, your application is being processed and you will receive a replacement Young Scot Card in the post soon
• If you are having difficulty with Get Your NEC, please contact your secondary school office to pick up an application form

Important notes:-

• To receive free bus transport you must have a National Entitlement Card with transport added.  The card will have a blue circle on it that says ‘ITSO’. Just tell the bus driver where you are going and tap your card on the electronic card reader to use it
• Due to the high demand for cards, it is possible that you may not receive your card for the scheme launching on 31 January 2022
• What we are doing in Moray is providing paper application forms for those having difficulty applying online.  To help with demand we are providing dedicated staff to prioritise application forms, which we will as quickly as possible
• Moray Council processing time is likely to be up to 14 days after receipt of your form.  Cards then need to be printed by the card supplier who are dealing with high demand from across Scotland.  If you have not received your card within 28 days, please contact our Customer Services team by emailing accessmoray@moray.gov.uk or calling 0300 123 4565