don't have a problem with under 16's having free bus travel,BUT

How does what older people did in the past mean that young people of today can afford bus fares? Bus services used to be regulated as transport was nationalised, for one thing, and wages were proportionately higher than now. Paper rounds and milkmen with paid help are vanishingly rare now (in most places they have vanished altogether) so your points of reference are odd to say the least, and I don’t know how anyone can say what others ‘can afford’.

Also, even if it were true (which statistically is not the case) that young people are getting a better deal than older ones did, isn’t that progress rather than something to be squashed?

Here in Scotland the under 22's have been free on the buses for a few years.

Despite a few bad eggs who get a lot of media attention, I think that the majority of youngsters are becoming independent using their bus passes to go to after school activities etc
For example there's a lad who carries his double bass on the bus.

What I hope is happening is that this generation will become accustomed to using public transport and will have the ability to get about without depending on getting lifts and there won't be an urgency to get their own car.

Good point. Anything that encourages public transport and discourages selfish single-car use has to be a good thing.