YOUNG people and children under the age of 22 will travel for free on buses across Scotland, starting next year.

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that the initiative, agreed with the Scottish Green Party will start on Monday, January 31 2022.

At COP26’s Youth and Empowerment Day, the First Minister said: “We are committed to giving our young people the very best chances to succeed in life.

"The extension of free bus travel to all under 22s will improve access to education, leisure, and work, while supporting the adoption of sustainable travel behaviours early in their lives."

This announcement comes after a recent Transport Scotland poll showed that 70% of young people would use public transport more frequently if it was free.

A demonstration is also being organised on Wednesday, November 10 to urge the Scottish Government, SPT and Glasgow City Council to work together to create a better public transport system.

READ MORE: Demo for better public transport in Glasgow as fury over free COP26 pass grows

After confirming the scheme, Nicola Sturgeon added: “COP26 must be a turning point for the world, and action must be taken if we are to ‘keep 1.5 alive’, and Governments across the world must act to support this.

"Adopting more sustainable travel behaviour is vital if we are to reach our world-leading goal of reducing the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2045.”