Bus Services: Older People
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a trial that would allow those with an older person's bus pass to travel before 9.30am on weekdays at a reduced cost of £1.
Answered by Department for Transport
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) currently provides free off-peak bus travel to eligible older and disabled people and costs around £795 million annually in reimbursement costs to operators. Any change to the statutory concession would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. The Government has recently announced that, from April 2027, holders of a disabled person’s bus pass will be able to travel free of charge at all hours.
Local authorities in England already have powers to provide discretionary concessions in addition to the statutory ENCTS entitlement, including offering travel before 9.30am at a reduced fare or free of charge. Any such additional concessions are determined and funded locally, taking account of local needs and priorities.
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