A REVAMP of the way bus passes are handed out to young people, pensioners, the disabled and wounded ex-servicemen and women in Wales is on the cards.

Wales' economy and infrastructure secretary Ken Skates has announced this week a pair of consultations into discounted bus travel had been launched as part of a review of the service.

Mr Skates said the Welsh Government was aiming to increase bus use overall as well as making services more frequent and accessible.

"Based on current forecasts, we can reasonably expect the number of older people aged 60 and over eligible for free bus travel to increase to about 880,000 people by 2021, rising to more than a million people by 2030," he said.

"So we have challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that our commitment is sustainable for the future.

"But let me be clear, this Government’s commitment to maintaining free bus travel for older people, disabled people and some injured service veterans is unshakeable."

The Welsh Government's MyTravelPass scheme, which offers young people money off bus journeys, is set to be scrapped next year.

But Mr Skates said a replacement scheme was being developed.

"I want to encourage even more young people to use the bus by developing a new discounted bus travel scheme for younger people," he said.

"I also hope that many young people whose only experience of bus travel is the daily trips to and from school will take advantage of an improved scheme to try the bus for other reasons."

But Plaid Cymru's transport spokesman Dai Lloyd said he was concerned changes would raise the age at which older people can get a free bus pass.

“For these vulnerable groups, the elderly, the disabled and some injured service veterans, this concessionary travel scheme is vital in terms of tackling isolation and increasing social interaction," he said.

The Welsh Conservatives have previously called for all 16 to 24-year-olds to be given free bus travel. And Clwyd West Darren Millar said: “They represent an exciting offer for young people and will not only save them money, but also help to save the planet too by encouraging the use of greener forms of transport."

Take part in the consultations at consultations.gov.wales