Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the 9.30am start time for free public transport on disabled people's abilities to commute to their place of work or education; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing that restriction.

Under the terms of The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme a holder of a concessionary bus pass is able to travel between 09.30am and 11.00pm on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

The primary aim of the scheme is to ensure that no eligible disabled or older person in England is prevented from bus travel by cost alone. The provision of a free bus pass aims to provide these groups with greater freedom and independence in accessing a range of basic necessities.

Local authorities in England have the power to offer additional local concessions, such as extending the hours of the concession, and around three quarters of authorities already do so.

This area is kept under review. The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme costs around £1 billion annually so any changes, such as extending the concession to include morning peak travel times, would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. At present, there are no plans to extend the travel times for the concession given the current pressures on public finances.