ALL apprentices in the Liverpool City Region are set to be given half-price bus travel, meaning savings of up to £420 a year.

The announcement, by Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, will see those on schemes and aged between 19 and 24 given the discount on all weekly and four-weekly passes.

It puts the prices in line with Merseytravel's "already great value" Solo bus tickets for under-19s, and has been brought in after the mayor's office worked with Bus Alliance partners Stagecoach and Arriva.

It means weekly tickets currently costing £19.20 will cost £9.60, while a four-weekly ticket costing £64.70 will go down to £32.35 for the region’s 11,000 apprentices.

While 16 to 18-year-olds currently have the 50% discount eligible for everyone their age, the scheme will extend eligibility for that discount to cover those aged 19 to 24.

The news comes ahead of Mayor Rotheram's major speech today that will discuss the importance of buses to local people, businesses and the economy as a whole in the region, which covers Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Mayor Rotheram said some young people had been put off travelling on buses in the past due to the high cost.

But he said: "Buses are the backbone of our public transport system, with more than 400,000 journeys in the city region every day, making up 82% of all public transport journeys.

"More than £40m has been invested in our bus fleet, making it as good as any outside London.

"We know that we have one of the highest satisfaction levels in the country, with 92% of people happy with their bus journeys last year, but we know there are areas where we can do better.

"Devolution gives us the opportunity to do things differently, to take greater control of our buses, and deliver a better bus service.

"We want the people of the city region to be part of that process, which is why I am announcing a big conversation about bus travel, to help us lay the foundations of a 21st century public transport system."

It's hoped the discount scheme will make apprenticeships more attractive for young people and encourage young people to find the right one, which may mean travelling further away.

It's also hoped the move will promote bus use as well as moving to offering those following a vocational route the same support as those following academia.

As part of his speech today, Mayor Rotheram will also say the region has "some of the best bus services in the country", bucking the national trend.

But he will warn that in spite of this high performance, the city region cannot afford to rest on its laurels, and will set out how he will use additional powers over bus services granted to areas with a Metro Mayor through the Bus Services Act to deliver the "best possible" service.

He will then announce the start of the "Big Bus Debate" with the public and all stakeholders with an interest in services, to help shape the future of the transport in the city region.

Sue Higginson, principal of Wirral Metropolitan College said: "Transport costs can be the first barrier to success and this initiative will ensure that by offering discounted bus travel for young apprentices, we remove that barrier and ensure that young people who learn through a vocational route get the same level of support that is already available to those who have chosen an academic route."

Howard Farrall and Rob Jones, the area managing directors for Arriva and Stagecoach, said: "As bus operators we are pleased to see bus travel being given the level of priority it deserves by the Metro Mayor and are committed to taking part in the ongoing debate about how we can make bus the best it possibly can be."