Owen Fraser has responded to Anna Tims’ recent reporting on the financial penalty faced by schoolchildren who do not possess smartphones. Fraser commended Tims for drawing attention to the broader negative impact of technology on young people, calling for a cohesive strategy to address these issues in educational and social settings.
Fraser, a resident of Scotland, pointed out that his region mitigates this specific problem by providing free bus travel to children and young people under the age of 22 who hold a physical national entitlement card. However, he noted that he remains affected by the wider trend of cheaper bus pass options being exclusively accessible through smartphone applications.
Huh, free bus travel for under-22s in Scotland? That sounds brilliant. More people should be pushing for that nationwide.
My mum still uses a flip phone. If she needs to travel alone, this policy practically bans her from using buses.
They’ll just say it’s too expensive to maintain old systems. Progress for whom, exactly?
I’m surprised Scotland has this physical card option. Why doesn’t the rest of the UK offer the same basic access?
Finally, someone is highlighting how digital-only systems leave vulnerable groups behind. It’s 2026, we can’t ignore this.