Bus Services: Scotland
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing cross-border reciprocal agreements for concessionary travel on passengers and local economies in border regions.
Answered by Department for Transport
The Government recognises the importance of the concessionary travel scheme, which is primarily intended to support local bus travel to assist with access to essential local services, staying active and avoiding isolation. This is why it is administered by Transport Concession Authorities (TCAs) within local government, and travel is usually restricted to England.
Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area and there are different schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with separate administrative arrangements.
TCAs in England that border Wales or Scotland can use their existing powers to offer travel across the border on a discretionary basis, based on their assessment of local need and their overall financial priorities. Discretionary concessionary travel schemes will need to be agreed between the relevant TCAs in England and the relevant Welsh or Scottish authority.
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