Hi, I'm 16, too young to vote or drive but apparently old enough to pay the adult train and bus fare. Despite being classified as a minor by all legal standards, my train ticket says otherwise. According to legal definitions, in most countries, adulthood starts at 18, when one is eligible to vote, smoke, and enjoy other privileges (Source: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). Yet inexplicably, many train services start to consider teenagers as adults from age 16, thus charging them full adult fare. To me and many others in my situation, this policy seems inconsistent, unfair and financially burdensome.

Currently the age limit to buy a child ticket for a train is 15 years old. My question is why should 16 and 17 year olds have to pay an adult fare when in the eyes of the law, they aren’t considered an adult until they are 18 years of age. Those who are only 16 aren’t even old enough to learn to drive yet and for most young people, travelling by train is the only method of transport they have available to them.

Due to the fact that in the UK you’re meant to be in education until you are 18, these children aren’t in a full time job therefore it is ridiculous that they should have to pay the same amount for a train fare as a working adult. 

It is extremely unfair to force children to pay these extortionate amounts for travelling on trains - especially with train companies increasing the ticket prices at the rate that they are doing.

They are making everyone pay unnecessary money to but railcards and this scam need to stop so please all help me by signing.

This is something that everyone is eventually going to be directly affected by, sooner or later, unlike other petitions where most people have nothing to do with and never will!

So please help our voices be heard and sign the petition to help raise the age for child tickets by signing and sharing with friends.

Thank you