A new travel scheme to save young people money on their bus travels with half-price tickets has been launched.

The new SaverCard Plus scheme by Hertfordshire County Council is now available for people aged between 20 to 25, allowing them easier access to work, education, retail and leisure across the county.

It is said to work on all Hertfordshire bus services other than those ran by Transport for London (TfL), and it launched on Monday (September 20).

The scheme offers half-price bus travel on Hertfordshire bus services for as little as £20 a year, the cost would be roughly covered by purchasing 14 single bus tickets.

For years, the county council has also funded a scheme offering half-price bus travel to 11 to 19 year olds.

Phil Bibby, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We want to encourage young people to use the buses instead of driving cars, and providing cheaper bus tickets through the Hertfordshire SaverCard Plus scheme is a key part of our strategy to encourage this change in behaviour.

“We’ve had great success with the SaverCard scheme for 11-19 year olds, and we know that the pandemic has impacted 20-25 year olds across the country the most, so we are hoping that this new scheme will not only aid in the economic recovery of the county, but also help individuals get access to employment and education.

“As well as giving young people more independence, increased bus travel helps reduce congestion and improves air quality, which will in turn contribute to our efforts to make Hertfordshire a cleaner, greener and healthier county.”

SaverCards cost £20 a year if purchased online, or £25 if purchased in other ways. To apply, visit: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/savercard