BARNSLEY’S young people have been instrumental in improving public transport for their peers across South Yorkshire.

Barnsley Youth Council has developed a Youth Transport Charter, alongside other youth councils in the region, which outlines young people’s requests for a better experience on public transport.

Daniel James, one of the longest standing members of the council, said: “We are proud of the hard work and commitment shown by local young people in their campaign for more reliable, accessible and affordable transport for the young people in our region.

“The Youth Transport Charter gives young people support and makes it clear what they should expect and what is expected of them when using transport services.

“The Charter will act as a benchmark if these expectations aren’t met by either the operator, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) or the young person.”

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “Regardless of age, everyone has the right to feel safe and secure when using public transport. This Youth Transport Charter, which is the result of a lot of hard work, clearly sets out the standards young people expect and deserve.

“My congratulations go to those young people whose tenacity and determination has resulted in the publication of the Charter today.”

The charter was developed with the support of SYPTE, local authorities and public transport operators.

SYPTE’s director of customer services, Tim Taylor, said: “Making our public transport network accessible and appealing for young people has always been really important to me.

“Listening to young people and encouraging them to use public transport now will help us to shape better services in the future.”

South Yorkshire public transport operators, local authorities, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Youth Councils and SYPTE have all signed up to the charter, which launched last Thursday.