Developed in collaboration with Carousel and Thames Valley Buses, students living in the borough aged 18 and under will be able to receive a discount of up to £100 on annual or term bus passes purchased before Friday 28 August – making easier for young people to travel sustainability and independently.
Parents or guardians must apply via email on behalf of their child or young person to receive a discount code or payment link which can be used to purchase a discounted pass. Limited discount codes are available and will be offered to verified residents on a first-come, first-served basis.
The promotion builds upon wider improvements to bus services over recent years including optimised bus routes and a new fleet of vehicles. Bus usage has continued to rise in the Royal Borough, with a report from the Department of Transport late last year showing that the borough exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 2024-25 with 1.5 million bus journeys – one of the first areas in the country to do so.
Cabinet Member for Highways, Customer Services, Libraries & IT, Cllr Geoff Hill, said: “I’m so pleased to launch this new promotion in the Royal Borough, working together with our bus operators to directly benefit young people in the borough, and their families. It’s a great way to save money as well ahead of the next school year, and a fantastic way to explore our towns and villages.
Managing Director of Carousel Buses, Luke Marion, said: “The partnership between the council and local bus operators is very strong and has delivered significant improvements. The bus network is already seeing encouraging levels of usage from school pupils and we’re hopeful that this promotion will help encourage even more children to catch the bus this summer and for the 2026/27 academic year.
“The savings are significant and provide young people a level of independence, while travelling safely and sustainably.”
General Manager of Thames Valley Buses, Simon Fisher, said: “We are pleased to be working with the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead’s initiative to launch heavily discounted school term passes to help ease the return-to-school financial burden.
“Reliable, affordable transport is vital for young people, and these discounted passes ensure that students can travel to school, college, and extracurricular activities safely without breaking the household budget. By choosing the bus, families are not only saving money compared to the daily school run, but they are also actively helping to reduce peak-time traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions around our local schools.”
Parents or guardians must apply via email on behalf of their child or young person to receive a discount code or payment link which can be used to purchase a discounted pass before 5pm on Friday 28 August.
To apply, residents must email the following to publictransport@rbwm.gov.uk:
• The parent or guardian’s name
• The child(ren)’s names
• Preferred email
• Bus operator (Carousel or Thames Valley Buses only)
• Council tax reference or alternative proof of residence