Children aged 11 to 16 can purchase a Young Person’s Travel Pass from Kent County Council which enables then to travel on buses free between 6am and 7pm, Monday to Fridays.

The pass costs £200 and runs from 1 September to 31 July. Now Stagecoach and Arriva have announced that they will allow holders of the pass to travel later in the evenings and at weekends, for just £1 a journey.

David Brazier, Kent County Council cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “This is a really great offer for children who have a Young Person’s Travel Pass and means that they will continue to benefit from affordable evening and weekend bus travel.

“The county council earlier this year agreed changes to the current bus travel scheme – the Kent Freedom Pass – in order to meet massive savings targets of £273m over the next three years.

“This is a discretionary service, which means we provide it without any statutory obligation to do so.

“Research showed that 75–78% of all journeys are made between home and school, so we focussed our limited funding on the element that parents and pupils most valued. Now, thanks to the county’s major bus companies children will be able to enjoy even wider travel choices on their routes.”

Stagecoach is also offering YPTP holders an off-peak season ticket costing £50 for the year.