As of Monday, January 31, free bus travel became available to everyone under the age of 22 in Scotland.

This ground-breaking initiative started life as an idea the Scottish Young Greens and I brought to our party conference, and just a few years later it is now available to almost a million young Scots.

Thousands of young people across West Dunbartonshire are eligible for a bus pass, making it easier for them to get to school, college, university, work or wherever else they want to go. As we emerge from the omicron surge, this will open up a world of opportunity to many young people.

To qualify, anyone aged 5-21 will need to apply for a new National Entitlement (Young Scot) Card. You can do that at getyournec.scot.

Under 16s will need an adult to apply for them. You’ll need to provide a scan of ID and a proof of address, as well as a photograph that can be used for the card.

If you can’t apply online, or if you don’t have the required proof, West Dunbartonshire Council (contact.centre@west-dunbarton.gov.uk) will sort you out.

I’d encourage anyone under the age of 22 who relies on buses to apply for the new card as soon as possible – particularly key workers, carers and those who rely on bus services to get access to education.

As we emerge from the pandemic, bus services will be a crucial part of Scotland’s green recovery plan. This travel card will open up opportunities for our young people, will help family budgets, and will play a key role in Scotland’s efforts to tackle the climate emergency.

Having been first elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent the West Scotland region at the age of 21 back in 2016, I am proud that within a few years I was able to deliver this scheme for Scotland’s young people.

I might be too old to benefit from it myself now, but I hope this achievement shows young Scots the value of getting involved in politics, and the ability of our younger people to make positive change.

This must only be a start though. The Scottish Greens would like to see our country follow in the footsteps of Luxembourg (whose transport minister is also a Green politician) by introducing fare-free public transport for all.

This is just one of the many transformative steps needed to tackle the climate emergency, reduce inequalities and support families.

With Green representation now at the heart of the Scottish Government I hope we can keep making progress towards this end goal.