Over-65s are the age group most opposed to under-22s being given free bus passes.
This week, a new report by MPs suggested that all under-22 year olds in England should get free bus passes.
The report from the Transport Committee says this is a barrier to some people using buses, and it recommended piloting a scheme of free bus travel for all under-22s.
It said that high bus fares and limited local provision of bus routes can “severely restrict young people’s access to education, employment, and other opportunities.”
This sounds like the sort of idea that you’d think would be pretty universally popular, and polling from YouGov this week found that, on the whole, it is.
Their survey found that 57% of Brits would support free bus travel for under-22 year olds.
The group most opposed to the idea though? Well, it turns out its the ones who already have free bus travel – the over-65s.
Almost half of this age group (45%) said they either strongly or somewhat oppose the idea. Just 12% said they strongly support it.
For many, the findings were the latest example of the elderly not wanting to help out British youth.
One person wrote on X: “Genuinely, could someone explain how it’s unsupported by 65+ when they get free bus travel themselves….”
Another said the findings showed Britain is an “island of people addicted to misery that only wants to inflict further misery on the younger generation.”
Difficult to argue with that diagnosis really…