A bus ticket created to help making travel around the county easier has been extended to under-18s.

Wycombe Smartzone allows passengers to buy day, week, four-week, or multiple trip tickets for use on both Arriva and Carousel bus services in the High Wycombe area.

Tickets on the Smartzone are now available for those aged under 18 after a successful launch of the adult ticket earlier this year.

The extended Smartzone availability will help support children heading to and from school.

Wycombe Smartzone extends from Holmer Green in the north, to Wooburn and Bourne End in the east, to Handy Cross in the south and to West Wycombe in the west.

It was launched in January with help from Buckinghamshire Council to provide passengers with a choice of buying an operator specific ticket or one where customers can travel on routes operated by the two main bus companies serving the Wycombe area.

Phil Southall, managing director of Carousel Buses said: “This is the next step in the progression of the Wycombe Smartzone scheme which has proved to be popular among passengers.

"It has helped make buses more accessible and life easier for passengers and we are delighted to now launch children’s tickets. “Schemes like the Wycombe Smartzone can help encourage more people to use buses and help reduce congestion and improve air quality.

"We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at Arriva and Buckinghamshire Council to further develop this exciting initiative.”

Both operators are currently running with reduced capacities to help maintain social distancing on-board all services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Enhanced cleaning regimes on all vehicles are being carried out and monitored and customers are also required to wear a face covering onboard, unless they are exempt.

Simon Finnie, area managing director of Arriva said “In these difficult times it is more important than ever that young people are able to use our bus networks to safely access education and employment.

"These new '18 and under’ SmartZone tickets will allow children and young adults to make the most of the bus services operated by both Arriva and Carousel across High Wycombe, and enjoy the benefits already experienced by our adult customers since the first phase of the SmartZone scheme launched in January.”