All homeless children should be given free bus passes, a Salford MP has said.
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey said parents in Greater Manchester were often put in accommodation a distance away from their child’s school and only got free travel if they were more than two miles from home.
The Labour MP said she hoped Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham would introduce a free bus pass for youngsters who could not afford the extra expense “during a time of immense upheaval”.
The Greater Manchester mayor said the region was “undertaking a broader review of concessions”.
More than 5,000 homeless Greater Manchester families are in temporary accommodation, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
“Families across Greater Manchester are being pushed into homelessness, often through no fault of their own, and placed in temporary accommodation far from their home borough,” Long-Bailey said.
She added: “These children need stability. They need access to their school, their teachers, their friends. A free bus pass is a small step that would make a big difference.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Education is the foundation that sets our young people up to fulfil their potential, and it’s vital that we support them in those critical years.
“The Bee Network is making travel easier and more affordable for everyone in Greater Manchester, including children and young adults. That includes £1 single bus fares, free travel for 16-18-year-olds, an extension of free travel for care leavers and, from next month, half price bus travel for 18-21-year-olds.
“We’re undertaking a broader review of concessions, considering all the requests for support that we get from a range of groups across the city-region, and the Mayor has asked them to ensure this is included.”
