Jeremy Corbyn has made a clear bid to woo younger voters ahead of next month's local elections by promising to provide up to 13 million under-25s with free bus travel across the UK.
The Labour leader was joined by local sixth-formers on a double-decker school bus in Derby as he launched the new policy, which is designed to replicate the system in London, where young people receive free or subsidised public transport.
The policy went down well with students from Littleover Community School, whose votes – or those of students over 18, at least – Labour is hoping will give the party a boost in the upcoming local elections on 3 May.
Speaking exclusively to BuzzFeed News, the Labour leader said that he wanted to nationally replicate the London model, in which young people get discounted or free travel on the transport network.
"It's important to engage young people in politics and we have a series of policies which are specifically designed to support young people, on housing, on education, and on travel," he said.
"Because too many people don't get the apprenticeships they need and deserve, don't get the opportunities they need and deserve and find life very expensive.
"Doing what London does to teenagers to young people across the country and giving them free bus travel, would be a step forward.
"They were telling me, the students here, that they need to get a bus into town," he added, "because we're in Littleover, which is a little way out of the centre of Derby; it costs them a lot of money, [so] they don't go. Therefore the central economy suffers; therefore their life experience is diminished."
Labour's policy announcement comes after the Conservative government introduced a millennial railcard late last year, which offers people aged 26 to 30 a third off rail tickets for a one-off £30 fee.
Labour has said that in government it would provide the funds for free travel for under-25s; this is conditional on local authorities introducing bus franchising or moving bus services to public ownership.
And Labour has admitted the cost of the policy would be £1.4 billion per year, although it claims this would be funded through ring-fencing money from Vehicle Excise Duty revenues.
Rosie Whitty, 17, said she currently spends around £5 getting to work – about an hour's wages – and has to take three different buses.
"I think [the policy] is amazing," she told BuzzFeed News. "I pay more to get to work than I get paid per hour at work. I have to hand over an hour's worth of my wages. Although £5 doesn't sound like a lot, at our age it is. We're not allowed to work a lot because we have homework and revision, so we don't earn that much.
"Getting around, getting into town, you rely on your parents, but we're growing up – we need to be more independent. It would encourage us to move around a lot more, go to Birmingham, see what else is around. A lot of people are considering going to Derby University because that's all that we know."
Whitty said that she would also welcome more investment in local bus services. "Definitely more frequent buses," she said. "In the evening if I miss a bus by ten minutes it's two hours before I can get home. A lot of time spent waiting around."
Another pupil, 18-year-old Maya Zowada-Noise told BuzzFeed News: "I don't use [the bus] that much because it's so expensive – if there's four of us it's cheaper to get a taxi into town. We have to pay adult prices."
Zowada-Noise, who said she will be voting Labour in May, said Corbyn was "so appealing for young people."
"I think the social media side, and what he was saying about tuition fees, and mental health services for young people, that's very important."
Her friend, Dani Merden, 17, added: "Our buses are really irregular – they stop at half six at night. This would be very beneficial and would make us use it more. And it would have a positive impact on the environment."
She said students were happy to have met Corbyn, adding: "It's such a good opportunity – I can't believe it's happening in Derby."
Although Labour is trying to appeal to a broad range of voters, young people have been widely credited as being a driving factor in the party's better-than-expected performance at last year's general election.
As well as helping young people financially, and easing congestion, air pollution, and carbon emissions, Labour says that free bus travel for under-25s will help generate lifelong increases in public transport use. Labour says the plans are intended to increase investment in public transport, and to improve services in rural areas.
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald told BuzzFeed News that the policy "speaks directly to our offer for young people", adding: "It's a comprehensive offer, really, in terms of the environment, public health, and young people's quality of life."
While the policy relies on local authorities taking buses into public ownership, he said that "what we're looking at is the ability of members of the public to challenge their local authorities in those circumstances and be saying to relevant councils 'this is how it is in other areas, and why are you not doing it?'"
McDonald said that Labour had not ruled out the option of extending free public transport beyond young people, if the scheme for under-25s proved to be successful.
However, the government has criticised the policy, with transport minister Nusrat Ghani saying: “This is yet another promise from Labour that they have no real ability to deliver. Labour admit themselves this could cost up to £13 billion, meaning extra borrowing with working people paying the price.
“Last election Labour promised to pay off student debt if elected and then admitted it would actually cost too much to do. Now they’re bribing young people again with yet another empty promise.
“Our balanced approach to the economy means that we are able to help people with the cost of travel by extending railcards to everyone under the age of 30, while councils also have the power to offer cheaper travel for young people.”
Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Baroness Randerson said: “Whilst we welcome Labour’s first tentative steps along the road to a fair bus policy for young people, this will be a postcode lottery, with eligibility based on where you live."