YOUNG Scots are saving thousands of pounds on bus fares compared with those in England, the SNP says.

The SNP’s Westminster group’s researchers said a student bus pass in London costs £692 for a year and as high as £1,570 in the south-east of England, while young people who are not in education are shelling out about £988.

Holyrood introduced free bus travel for under-21s in 2022 as a result of an SNP-Greens coalition agreement.

In October, ministers in England rejected a similar scheme citing costs but said the government would examine the policy’s effects in Scotland.

SNP Westminster spokesman Graham Leadbitter said young people in Scotland are “saving thousands of pounds compared to those living under Keir Starmer’s Labour government in England.”

He added: “More than 274 million free bus journeys have now been taken since the SNP introduced free bus travel for under-22s.”