by Adam Yaqub In the current financial climate, much is said about families who cannot afford heating bills, or fuel for their cars. A much more pressing issue for the young people of Sutton and the surrounding areas however, is the cost of transport to school or college.

All Sutton residents under the age of 16 are entitled to free travel on the buses, under the pre-paid Oyster card scheme. However, no thought appears to have been given to those who live in the borough but have to travel daily to places not accessible by bus.

One 17 year old Sutton resident I spoke to who commutes to Reigate daily told me that she has to pay £167.20 per month for train tickets. “I feel it is unfair that we are given no support at all towards travel expenses, when the people living across the road are on the other side of the boundary with Surrey and are entitled to 50% off train fares”, she told me.

The idea that this system is unfair is a view shared by many. There appears to be no explanation as to why some students should be entitled to free travel and others not, but rather it seems to be pure luck depending on where you live.

This unfair system must be addressed, for the sake of all who have been, and still are, subjected to the inconvenience of having to pay their own travelling expenses.