First Minister visits GCU to announce free bus travel for under 22s

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie join Student President Adil Rahoo and Principal Professor Pamela Gillies on campus
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie join Student President Adil Rahoo and Principal Professor Pamela Gillies on campus

GCU’s Principal and Student President welcomed Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, to our Glasgow campus today, November 5.

The First Minister and Mr Harvie were at GCU to announce that all under 22s resident in Scotland will have access to free bus travel from January 31, 2022.  It coincided with COP26’s Youth and Empowerment Day.

Our Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies CBE FRSE and GCU Student President Adil Rahoo were joined by GCU students Catherine Jean Mackie, Nagineh Azar and Christopher Winters, who took part in the official media photo-call in front of two buses with the First Minister and Minister, together with pupils from Caldercuilt Primary School. 

The announcement means around 930,000 young people across Scotland will benefit from free bus travel by the end of January. Transport Scotland research showed 70% of young people indicate they would use public transport more frequently if it was free. The Scottish Government has committed to removing the majority of fossil-fuelled buses from public transport by 2023.

Visit our website to find out more about what GCU is doing on climate change and COP26.