I attended a public meeting in Glossop on Saturday (30 September) where parents called for cheaper fares available to students in Manchester to be extended to those travelling into the area to study.
The campaign calling for cheaper bus passes for 16 to 18-year-olds, which I wholeheartedly support, has struck a chord with hundreds of families who have highlighted frustrations that young people over the border in Manchester are able to access cheaper fares to travel to college, whilst those who travel from inside the Derbyshire border cannot access the same support.
The public meeting was also covered on BBC North West Tonight
I was joined at the meeting by Labour’s parliamentary candidate for High Peak, Jon Pearce, and Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, who echoed my pledge to support Vickie’s campaign.
Labour’s Jon Pearce said: “Extending the ‘Our Pass’ scheme to include young people living in High Peak isn’t just the right thing do to, it also makes huge economic sense. If more young people can afford to go to college, those institutions will benefit financially. Not to mention the added spend in local cafes, shops, and other businesses.”
Since Saturday’s meeting, we have also been contacted by families living in Hayfield and New Mills facing the same unfairness. Please contact me if this impacts you and you’d like to add your weight to this campaign.