'It's crazy how much we have to spend on buses'

Ollie, Lacy, and Luke said the cost of bus travel to college was becoming unaffordable

Transport costs "should not be the barrier" for students learning and working in Cornwall, a college deputy principal has said.

Staff and students at Cornwall College's Camborne campus said the cost and unreliability of buses in the county made it hard for them to study effectively or hold down weekend jobs.

MPs on the Transport Select Committee have called for the government to make buses free for under-22s to help them access jobs and training.

But, Labour insisted it did not have the money to provide free travel for young people – but said it was investing £1bn to boost services and cap fares at £3.

Luke Bazeley, deputy principal of Cornwall College's Camborne campus, backed the suggestion of the committee.

"Transport should not be the barrier. It has a massive impact on social mobility," he said.

He feared the cost of bus travel could dissuade some teenagers from wanting to stay in education.

"It actually limits their opportunity if you have to find that money - £25 a week - it's huge.

"If they also want to get a part-time job too - when you take out the cost of the buses out of their minimum wage it's hardly worth it for them," he explained.

Luke Bazeley said the cost of transport should not be a barrier to young people in Cornwall

Students at the college described the idea of free travel for them as "life-changing".

Ollie, 17, from Helston, explained it cost his parents about £1,200 a year to pay for his transport to college.

"It's just crazy the amount of money we spend on buses. It should be free. Especially with the government wanting all students to be in education or work," he said.

Lacy, 17, from Gwithian, said: "I barely have any money at the end of the month and I can't afford to go out and have fun and enjoy my teenage years."

Luke, 19, and lives in Newquay, said: "It's just draining my bank account. I hardly ever have any spending money."

The government said it could not currently afford to subsidise free travel for under-22s.

It said Cornwall was one of the rural areas where bus franchising was being investigated - so local authorities had the power to set prices and routes.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "We know how important affordable and reliable bus travel is, which is why we've invested £1bn to boost services, capped fares at £3.

"Our new Bus Services Act is empowering local leaders to put passengers first."