Travel: Concessions
(asked on 17th July 2014) - View Source
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what (1) concessionary fares, and (2) free travel arrangements, for bus and travel services exist in each region of the United Kingdom; and whether they have plans to expand and encourage such schemes.
Statutory concessionary bus travel is a devolved matter with separate systems administered in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. This response, therefore, refers only to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). The ENCTS is a statutory concession scheme which allows for free travel for older and disabled people on local bus services anywhere in England, between 0930 and 2300 during weekdays and anytime at weekends and bank holidays. In addition, local authorities are able to provide non-statutory, discretionary concessions for specified groups of people, from their own funds, in accordance with their local priorities, which the Government encourages. In each of the years 2010/11 to 2013/14, nearly all of the 89 Travel Concessionary Authorities outside London were offering some sort of discretionary travel concession over and above the statutory minimum ENCTS, for example companion passes or extensions to travel times. The statutory concession for London residents provides free travel for pass holders on almost all public transport in London. Details of discretionary enhancements across England can be found here -
(see in particular table BUS0841).