City of York Council is re-launching its popular Yo Zone bus card for teenagers by making it available to all youngsters aged 16 and under.

The original Yo Zone card was launched in 1999 to give all youngsters across the city aged 14, 15 and 16 cut-price bus travel throughout the day.

The card allows teenagers to travel on buses in York at child fares and is valid any time of the day or week for leisure journeys as well as those to and from school.

Now the council has formally extended the scheme to allow any youngster who is 16 or under to have a card.

Dave Pearson, the council's principal transport planner, said, "Although youngsters who are 13 and under are ordinarily entitled to pay only child fares some children do have difficulty proving their age and we are now removing the lower age limit to allow any child to have a card."

Across the city, 30 percent of all secondary school pupils travel to school by bus, either a dedicated school bus or other bus. At All Saints R.C. School over 50 percent of the pupils travel by bus on a daily basis and the Yo Zone card has a real benefit for these pupils.

Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport, said, "The council is very aware of residents' concerns about the cost of bus travel.

"The Yo Zone card has been extremely popular making it cheaper for young people to get around and benefiting family budgets by reducing the cost of travel to school.

"In re-launching the card we hope to extend these benefits to a wider number of younger people in York."

Any secondary school age pupils living in the City of York Council area up to and including the age of 16 can now apply for a Yo Zone card.

Continuing with the success of previous schemes the new Yo Zone card is available by completing an application form on the leaflet that can be found in schools, at local libraries or council receptions. Details of the scheme can also be found on the council's web site www.york.gov.uk

ENDS