Free transport to under 18's

[Bewilcorp]

Do you agree that all under 18's should be given free transport by bus/taxi/train service.

With the uprising of crime and knife crime do you agree that under 18's should be given a safe way of getting from A to B.

This would reduce knife crime so saving the NHS alot of money.

Whats your views?

[GommeInc]

NHS may save alot of money, but what about the transport companies?

[Jordy]

I personally have doubts it would make any difference on knife crime at all to be fair. These people will just hang around bus stops and train stations, like they already do.

Free taxis are a definite no, free trains would be amazing beyond belief however it's a little unrealistic and free buses fair enough.

I do think though if there was free train/bus travel, it might get a few more people into public transport and then later in life they may rely on it rather than a car. If the government are serious about getting people out their cars it's the right thing to do, get people to experience it for free, if they like it they'll stay on it.

Considering the economic climate I therefore conclude it's not a good move to make right now, however heavy discounts for buses and trains for students should continue.

[Bewilcorp]

NHS could give the transport sector money.

[GommeInc]

NHS could give the transport sector money.

Then it's no different.

[Jordy]

NHS could give the transport sector money.

Possibly but bare in the transport sector is mostly private. All train operating companies are private (Except the East Coast Mainline where National Express gave it back to the government) and a large number of bus companies are privately operated too. It's not like the government runs the transport system anymore.

[Stryderman]

Imo it wouldnt affect knife crime. You still get idiots who mug each other and even more idiots who carry a knife with them for "protection" Giving people free transport wont stop mugging or people carrying knifes it will only increase where people get mugged as they will have access to anywhere in the country.

[FlyingJesus]

NHS could give the transport sector money.

Yeah because the NHS has so much money to give away.

Frankly I can't see this ever being something that's taken up seriously or even suggested in the real world, because it would come with mammoth costs, would likely always be too busy to be of any real use unless more buses and trains were introduced (which would again cost lots of money) and would also promote the idea that walking anywhere is pointless - something I know for a fact the government have been campaigning against for years.

As for knife crime, I hardly think it would save enough money for a day's worth of free transport in my town even, let alone nationally as an on-going scheme. Unless you were somehow serious about making taxis free (which is laughable), people would not be getting straight to their destinations and so there would still be plenty of places for knife crime to occur.
That's not even taking into account the fact that most knife crime happens outside of bus and train operating hours.

[-:Undertaker:-]

No, you pay your own way and the state shouldn't pay you. Kids already get £30 a week from doing nothing, and thats more than enough for transport. If not, then you do what your parents and grandparents did and get a job. If people are struggling then ideally taxes should be lowered. Its all very simple but goes in one ear and out the other with our politicians. All people seem to think about these days is 'memememememe' and all that matters is that they get everything free for nothing, wrong.

[ifuseekamy]

How would it stop knife crime? A lot of knife crime occurs on buses.