Youths in Waltham Forest will soon be able to earn back their free travel by doing voluntary work (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Youths in Waltham Forest will soon be able to earn back their free travel by doing voluntary work

3:03pm Friday 17th July 2009 in

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YOUTHS who lose their free travel privilege due to bad behaviour will soon be able to earn it back by doing voluntary work.

The Mayor of London has announced that from September 'Earn your travel back' will mean young people in Waltham Forest who have their Oyster Zip cards taken away can earn them back through volunteering.

They can give their time to the London Wildlife Trust, the National Young Volunteers Service or BTCV, formerly the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.

The scheme will not be available for young people that commit serious offences.

Boris Johnson, said: "The vast majority of young people in Waltham Forest respect that privilege but Transport for London has no option other than to withdraw it from young people who choose to behave badly on public transport.

"But I believe young people who have caused problems on our buses and had their free travel taken away should be given the opportunity to earn it back in exchange for putting something positive back into their community."

'Earn your travel back' will be organised by 'V' - the National Young Volunteers Service.

Young people who have free travel withdrawn will be invited to contact V who will then arrange for them to take part in a days work.

Rachel Oliver, the head of programmes for V, said: "We see the scheme as a positive opportunity for young people to gain valuable skills and make a meaningful contribution to the community.

"Our research shows that young people who have volunteered in the past are more likely to do so in the future and that could be a really positive outcome of this."

TfL has withdrawn free travel from 3,620 youngsters for bad behaviour, such as bullying or the use of threatening language, since the Zip scheme was introduced in June last year.

Free travel is withdrawn for at least six months.

Steve Burton, director of community safety enforcement and policing at Transport for London said: "It is good to see that 'Earn Your Travel Back' is becoming a reality as it will support our existing efforts to tackle the sometimes inconsiderate behaviour of a minority of young people on buses."