Hop on the bus this Easter: Kids Go Free is back!

Kids Go Free is coming back again for the Easter school holidays, giving free bus travel for a fortnight to around 150,000 kids aged under 16 across the West.

Image: Kids Go Free in Easter 2026, credit West of England Mayoral Combined Authority

The hugely popular, nationally unique initiative saw big increases in children and young people taking the bus over the summer and Christmas school holidays in 2025, with many places seeing the number of journeys double, compared to the same times the previous year.

Every free journey is putting money back into families’ pockets, funded using some of the Bus Grant funding secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council from the Department for Transport.

The latest data indicates that areas in the West where families have incomes among the lowest 10% in the country saw the largest increases (+98% on average) in bus travel by children and young people. In areas where families have among the lowest 30% of incomes in the country, the data showed an 89% rise while Kids Go Free first ran last summer. The scheme returned over the Christmas school holidays, following on from its inclusion in the West’s first Child Poverty Action Plan.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “We have already seen more than a million free journeys for children and young people through just nine weeks of Kids Go Free. More people have been able to explore the West by bus, in many cases for the first time. 

“We all know our region has a lot to offer and that is something we want everyone to have the chance to experience. Providing this easy-to-use service is making a real difference for families, helping children see parts of the West Country that they otherwise might not.

“Kids Go Free was a huge success over the summer and Christmas holidays and I have no doubt many families will be hopping on the bus this Easter too.”

Councillor Kevin Guy, Deputy Mayor of the West of England and Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: "The return of Kids Go Free over the Easter holidays is fantastic news for families in Bath & North East Somerset. It helps parents and carers save money while giving children and young people the freedom to travel independently, visit friends and family, and enjoy everything our wonderful area has to offer.”

Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said: “I’m thrilled to see Kids Go Free return for the Easter holidays, building on its success last summer and winter. 

“For many families, travel costs can be the difference between staying at home and getting out to discover our city and region. We support this initiative, which makes it easier and more affordable to choose public and active travel. 

“By working with the Mayoral Combined Authority and our partners, we are helping children and young people visit friends and family and explore with confidence. We’ll keep collaborating to improve mobility across the city so everyone can get where they need to go.” 

Councillor Hugh Malyan, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, said: “We are thrilled by the strong uptake of the Kids Go Free scheme and the positive impact it is having across communities in North Somerset. By making bus travel free for children, we are helping more families choose public transport for everyday journeys. I hope everyone will take full advantage of this opportunity to explore all that the West has to offer while building confidence in using our transport network.”

Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We’re pleased to see this initiative continue over the Easter holidays and that so many local children across the area have been able to travel for free. We now want to go even further, increasing the number of bus routes available and improving coverage so that even more children can benefit.”

This Kids Go Free offer runs from Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April (inclusive) on all registered commercial and supported bus services starting in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, with limited exemptions set out on the Travelwest website – e.g. for airport services.

Outside of the offer period, child fares in the West remain among the cheapest in country, with the £1 cap recently frozen until 2029. Children under five years of age already travel for free on the majority of services in the West of England.

Over the coming weeks, the regional authority is set to invite people to have their say on its developing Bus Plan – to enable councils, bus operators, and communities to work together to build a bus network that people can rely on. Better buses are a key area of focus for the West, earmarked as a priority for the record £752 million of transport investment from government secured last year. 

The Transport Vision published last month by the Mayor and council leaders set out an ambition for reliable, affordable services with one ticket and one timetable, alongside improvements to the growing regional rail network, mass transit plans, safer active travel, and improved streets.