Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact on bus patronage of the withdrawal by Hertfordshire County Council of the Senior SaverCard; and what assessment she has made of the potential role of local or regional concessionary fare schemes in encouraging bus use among the age group of 60 to State Pension age.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on bus patronage of Hertfordshire County Council’s withdrawal of the Senior SaverCard. Decisions on discretionary local concessionary fare schemes are matters for local authorities, which are best placed to assess local needs, priorities and impacts.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme provides free off-peak bus travel in England to those of State Pension age and those with eligible disabilities. Local authorities may choose to offer discretionary concessions which are more generous than the statutory minimum, including concessions for those aged between 60 and State Pension age. Such schemes can enable authorities to tailor support to their local communities and transport networks, and may encourage bus use. Decisions on whether to introduce or maintain them, and assessments of their effect on bus use, are matters for the relevant authority.

The Government is providing over £3 billion between 2026/27 and 2028/29 to support local leaders and bus operators to maintain and improve bus services and keep fare low, including around £700 million per year through the Local Authority Bus Grant.

Hertfordshire County Council will receive £34.6 million from the Department for Transport under the Local Authority Bus Grant, from 2026/27 until 2028/29 in addition to £12.2 million already received in 2025/26.