Rethinking passive transport: Bus fare exemptions and young people's wellbeing

Abstract

Much recent public health research has emphasised the health impacts for young people of ‘active travel’ modes, typically defined as walking and cycling. Less research has focused on public transport modes. Drawing on qualitative data, we examine the links between bus travel and wellbeing in London, where young people currently have free bus travel. Our findings indicate that bus travel can be both a physically and socially active experience for young people. We suggest a more nuanced understanding of ‘active travel’ is now needed, alongside greater attention to urban public transport networks as key sites that impact on important determinants of wellbeing such as independent mobility and social inclusion.