{
  "id": 9952107,
  "title": "Schoolchildren without smartphones penalised with higher bus fares",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/schoolchildren-without-smartphones-penalised-with-higher-bus-fares",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-26T05:00:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/sep/26/schoolchildren-smartphones-higher-bus-fares-england"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Schoolchildren without smartphones may pay up to £546 more per year for bus fares, according to a problem that highlights the disconnect between government guidance and practical realities. In Derbyshire, an 11-year-old girl must pay extra due to a bus discount scheme available only via an app. The b_line card, which caps single fares at £1.50 for those aged 18 and under, requires registration with an app to qualify for the student discount. Critics argue that this digital-only approach undermines the government's guidance to keep mobile phones out of schools. Adele Kightley, the girl's mother, made the choice not to give her daughter a smartphone, opting for a basic phone instead. However, to take advantage of the young person's discount on Trentbarton buses, the student card must be linked to the app. Trentbarton's spokesperson stated that ticketing machines are not configured to read the council-issued cards, but the company is working on a new physical card to provide the discounted fare. Meanwhile, East Midlands combined county authority sympathizes with parents who prefer not to give their children smartphones and will consider how young people access discounted fares as they develop the regional fares and ticketing strategy. Campaigner Daisy Greenwell points out that this digital-only approach is penalizing poorer households and undermining efforts to limit screen time. Over 200,000 parents have signed a campaign group's pledge to delay smartphone ownership until at least 14, yet essential services continue to be designed as if every child owns a smartphone. This creates a double burden for lower-income families, who must pay more for the same journey. Other regional operators, such as Stagecoach and Compass, also require smartphones for the best discounts. Greenwell urges the government and bus companies to fix this issue, ensuring equal access to fair fares regardless of smartphone ownership.",
  "summary": "Despite guidance keeping mobile phones out of England’s schools, cheaper travel may only be available via an app Schoolchildren who do not own smartphones face paying hundreds of pounds extra in annual bus fares as cheaper travel passes are digitised. Critics argue that by only making discounts available through an app, operators are undermining government guidance to keep mobile phones out of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}