english national concessionary travel scheme bus pass

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Free bus passes for older and disabled people protected for the future

Government changes legislation to protect free bus travel scheme.

Disabled and older people in England will continue to benefit from free off-peak bus travel for the foreseeable future, keeping them connected with their local towns and cities.

Bus passengers aged over 65 or with a disability have been entitled to travel free of charge on any off-peak local service in England since 2007, thanks to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.

The government has now amended legislation to protect the scheme in its current format, so that it can to continue for years to come.

Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

Being able to get out and about is hugely important for older and disabled people to keep their independence and play a role in their local community. Buses help connect people, homes and businesses and nearly 10 million people in this country are already benefitting from free off-peak bus travel. The legislation underpinning our important bus pass scheme is now set for the future, meaning this group will be able to access their local services and amenities.

The legislation behind the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme has been amended so that it no longer needs to be reviewed every 5 years. New regulations will ensure millions of older and disabled people up and down the country can continue to make use of buses to go about their daily lives.

In addition to the bus pass scheme, the government provides £250 million every year for bus services in England, £40 million of which helps to fund routes that may not be commercially viable but which are considered socially necessary - ensuring people are connected with their local services and communities.

Find out about applying for:

• an older person’s bus pass
• a disabled person’s bus pass

Francesca Di Giorgio, Inclusion Policy Manager at RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) said:

Blind and partially sighted people rely on bus services to get to work, visit friends and family, and be part of the community. Buses are a vital lifeline bringing independence to many people with sight loss. We are really pleased that the concessionary bus pass scheme will continue to run, guaranteeing free off-peak bus travel for people registered blind and partially sighted.

Dave Bracher, Campaigns Manager, Spinal Injuries Association said:

Buses provide a lifeline to many of our members, enabling them to be active in their local communities, commute to work, visit family and friends and undertake a host of other activities. We know that having a spinal cord injury, like any disability, attracts significant additional costs – and this initiative helps people financially and to lead active, engaged and fulfilled lives.

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Benefits and Entitlements

If you're 60 or over or you have a disability, you might be eligible for public transport concessions – from discounts on your rail journeys to a free bus pass.

What transport concessions are available?

Can i get a free bus pass, can i get a discount on train travel, can i get a london freedom pass, what if i have difficulty using public transport, what if i'm unable to use public transport, more travel concessions questions.

There are several national public transport concessions available to older and disabled people. Some entitle you to discounts on your fares, while others allow you to travel for free.

Eligibility for these concessions depends on whether you have a disability or your age. 

Depending on your age and your circumstances, you might be able to get one of the following free bus passes, which allow you to travel free on local buses:

• an older person's bus pass
• a disabled person's bus pass

What age do I have to be to get an older person's bus pass?

You can get an older person's bus pass when you reach State Pension age, which is currently 66 for both women and men.

Apply for your older person's bus pass on GOV.UK

If you're 60 or over and live in London, then you can get free travel on buses, trains and other modes of transport in and around London with a 60+ London Oyster photocard.

Apply for your 60+ London Oyster photocard on the TFL website

How can I get a disabled person's bus pass?

There's no central provider of the disabled person's bus pass – to find out if you're eligible and how to apply, you need to get in touch with your local council.

Find your local council and apply for a disabled person's bus pass on GOV.UK

Are there any other discounts if I'm an older person or I'm disabled?

It's a good idea to contact individual transport operators to see if they offer discounts.

For instance, National Express offers Coachcards. These are discount cards for older or disabled customers. You buy them for a set fee of £15.00 and they get you a third off the cost of your travel across the year.

Find out more and order a Coachcard on the National Express website

Depending on your age and circumstances, you might be entitled to one of the below railcards:

• a Senior Railcard
• a Disabled Person's Railcard

Both railcards are discount cards. You buy them for a set fee to last either 1 or 3 years and they get you a third off the cost of your train travel.

Can I get a Senior Railcard?

The Senior Railcard is available for anyone aged 60 or over to buy.

You can apply on the Senior Railcard website using a valid passport or UK driving licence as ID. Or, you can apply in person at most staffed railway stations.

Find out more about the Senior Railcard and apply online

Can I get a Disabled Person's Railcard?

The Disabled Person's Railcard is available to you if you meet one of the following criteria:

• you're registered as deaf or use a hearing aid
• you're registered as having a visual impairment
• you have epilepsy
• you receive a disability-related benefit, such as  Personal Independence Payment
• you receive War or Service Disablement pension
• you receive Attendance Allowance
• you receive Severe Disablement Allowance
• you receive War Pensioner's mobility supplement

Find out more about the Disabled Person's Railcard and apply online

Freedom Passes give London residents free travel in the city – including National Rail services, the Underground, buses, river services and trams – and free local bus journeys nationally.

If you live in London, you can apply for a Freedom Pass if one of the following applies to you:

• you've reached State Pension age
• you have a disability.

Find out more about Freedom Passes and apply on the London Councils website

National Rail has an interactive tool called Stations Made Easy, designed to help people find their way around stations and find more accessible routes, avoiding potential difficulties like stairs. This may be helpful if you have difficulty using public transport because of your health. 

Find out more and use the tool on the National Rail website

If you're disabled, you can't use public transport, or you don't have access to a car, you might also be able to use a community transport scheme – such as a social car, dial-a-ride, or taxicard scheme.

Shopmobility schemes help people shop in town centres by lending out wheelchairs and scooters. Some local councils also offer concessions on local public transport.

To find out what's available in your area, you can contact your local council or your local Age UK.

Find your local council on GOV.UK

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No, you can't use a free bus pass on National Express buses. To get senior concessions on National Express you need to buy a senior coachcard, which costs £15 a year.

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Yes, your bus pass will give you free travel on buses across England, including London. However, there may be specific rules about when you can travel for free, so check your local council's free bus pass guidance before travelling.

Find your local council's older person's bus pass guidance on GOV.UK

Want more information?

Apply for an older person's bus pass on GOV.UK

Apply for a disabled person's bus pass on GOV.UK

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Last updated: Apr 09 2024

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Home » Buses » Free Bus Passes

• Free Bus Passes

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides bus passes for free travel on most bus services in England for people who are eligible. Passes have to be applied for – they are not issued automatically.

If someone has passed away who holds a concessionary bus pass, we will be notified through the Tell Us Once service if you accessed this service. Alternatively, please get in touch with us to advise of the change in circumstance by email or by phoning the number on the back of the pass.

Once you have notified us there is no requirement to return the pass, instead it can be destroyed as with a debit/credit card.

From 01 February 2023 Peterborough residents are able to apply for and renew their bus passes online or by calling 0345 045 1367. This makes the process easier and moves it in line with Cambridgeshire resident applications. From now on Peterborough residents are no longer be able to use the paper application or do it in person at the Peterborough Town Hall. This has been replaced by a bookable face to face service in Peterborough libraries.

Am I eligible for a free bus pass?

How do I apply for a free bus pass?

How do I renew a free bus pass? 

How do I apply for a lost, stolen or damaged bus pass?

Where is my bus pass valid?

How do I use and look after my bus pass?

Refugees from the Ukraine and other areas may apply for a bus pass provided they meet the eligibility criteria listed on this site. Some bus operators may be offering local schemes and you should contact them for advice.  There is no government bus pass scheme for refugees who do not meet the criteria.

If you are Ukrainian and living in hosted accommodation a letter from your host will be accepted as proof of residence.  If you are a recently arrived refugee applying under one of the disability categories and currently have no supporting evidence please call the contact centre on: 0345 045 1367 for advice

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Older person's bus pass guide

When you can apply for and where you can use an older person's bus pass. How to apply for a pass, renew your pass or replace a damaged pass.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off peak travel on scheduled bus services for older people.

When you can apply

You can get a bus pass when you reach State Pension Age .

Where you can use your bus pass

You can use your ‘NoWcard’ during off-peak hours anywhere in England, off peak hours are 9.30am to 11pm Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.

Apply for a pass

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• Renew your pass
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• How to use your pass

Apply for a pass intro

Find out about a concessionary travel pass and a companion pass for those who are unable to travel alone. 

About concessionary travel

Find out about applying for, replacing and renewing your bus pass here. Northumberland County Council participates in the government’s English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). This scheme entitles pass holders who are residents in England to free off-peak travel on local bus services throughout the country. Once you have your pass, the scheme is free and easy to use.

Eligibility - find out if you can apply for a bus pass 

You will be eligible for a concessionary travel pass (bus pass) if: 

You have a disability: 

• You need to meet the criteria shown on the guidance notes for a disabled person’s pass.  
• Disabled person's bus pass application form

You are an eligible older person: 

• You were born before 6 April 1950. 
• If you are a woman born after 5 April 1950, you become eligible when you reach state pension age. 
• If you are a man born after 5 April 1950, you become eligible when you reach the pensionable age of a woman. 
• Check whether you are an eligible older person  
• Older person's bus pass application form
• Older person's guidance notes.

You are unable to travel alone: 

• If you are unable to travel alone and can meet other criteria, you can apply for a companion pass. 
• Companion passes enable a friend, relation, or carer to travel with you. 
• For this, you will need certification to show that you are unable to travel alone. 

Companion bus pass application form

Application process 

If you’d like to apply for a new or renewal pass, you can apply:   

You can  apply online  which is the quickest way for your pass to be processed. 

If you are applying to renew your bus pass online for the first time, you will need to apply as if you are a new applicant. You need to create an account on our online application website if you have not already done this. 

Email: 

Please email the completed form to  [email protected]     

By post: 

Concessionary Travel  Northumberland County Council  County Hall  Morpeth  NE61 2EF   

If you have any trouble with the process, please contact us on  0345 600 6400 .  For more information on how to contact us click here .    

Older person's pass - when to apply

If you are nearly at the age where you become eligible for an older person’s pass, you can apply in advance.  Please do not apply more than 28 days in advance.  We will keep your application on file as  we cannot issue a pass until you become eligible .    

What to expect after you have applied for your bus pass 

Take note of the following points: 

• Receipt of your application does not mean we will issue you with a pass. If your application is incomplete or unclear, we will have to contact you. This will result in your application being delayed. 
• We aim to send out passes within 15 working days of receiving a valid application. This allows us time to check your eligibility, and that your application is properly completed. Your application will therefore have all the necessary supporting evidence, and there will be nothing we need to query. 

Information for bus operators  If you are a bus operator in Northumberland who participates in the ENCTS,  see the statutory notice here .   

Privacy notice - how we handle your information  

View the concessionary travel privacy notice . 

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English National Concessionary Bus Pass Scheme

Bus passes for older and disabled people.

A concessionary pass may be available to those who qualify on grounds of age or with certain disabilities to travel free on local buses throughout East Sussex and England.

Full information about the scheme and eligibility is available from East Sussex County Council – Bus Pass Scheme – Concessionary travel for eligible older or disabled people 

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Concessionary bus passes

National Concessionary Travel Scheme Passes for Somerset residents of pensionable age or who are disabled

Introduction

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme pass is a national pass. Each travel concession authority, in this case Somerset Council, holds responsibility for administrating the scheme in their own area. This application is only valid for Somerset residents who are of pensionable age or eligible on the grounds of disability.

The bus pass is free, but there may be an administration charge for replacing a valid pass if it has been lost, stolen or damaged.

Please read our Concessionary bus pass information leaflet (PDF 1.38MB) before you apply.

You can also use this form to apply for your bus pass – Application form for a Concessionary Travel Scheme Pass (PDF 970KB)

You can apply for a bus pass 28 days before the date you are eligible. If you are not sure of the date you become eligible, please see FAQs – Somerset Council Bus Pass .

Eligibility

Eligibility on grounds of pensionable age.

You must be a Somerset resident, having your only or main home in Somerset and be of pensionable age. If you are not sure of the date you become entitled, please use the State Pension age calculator or the FAQs – Somerset Council Bus Pass

For more information about eligibility please see our  Concessionary bus pass information leaflet (PDF 1.38MB) . Please read this before you apply.

Eligibility on grounds of disability

You must be a Somerset resident and have a disability or be unable to drive for medical reasons to be entitled to a concessionary bus pass. You can apply if you:

• are blind or partially sighted
• are profoundly or severely deaf in both ears
• are without speech
• have severe difficulty in walking
• do not have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms
• have a learning disability which is severe and diagnosed during early life
• have applied for a licence to drive under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, but your application was turned down because of section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) but not if it was because of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol

Please note that Somerset Council does not issue companion or carer bus passes. This is a result of government funding arrangements.

What you will need

You will need to supply proof of your age and residency. We require two separate documents – one from each of the lists below – a recent low gloss colour passport size and style photograph (see  Passport Photograph Guidance ) and proof of any disability if applicable.

Examples of proof of residency:

• Council Tax bill (most recent)
• Utility bill (no more than 3 months old)
• TV licence (most recent)
• Electoral registration
• NHS medical card (bearing the applicant’s name)

Examples of proof of your age:

• Driving licence
• NHS Medical card (bearing the applicant’s name)
• Birth certificate (bearing the applicant’s name)
• Pension card or letter

If you are applying because you have a disability, you must send us proof of your disability. Please see our Concessionary bus pass information leaflet (PDF 1.38MB) to find out what is accepted as proof of your disability – here are some examples:

• Department for Work and Pensions Disability Living Allowance award letter, which gives details of your award for mobility and care components
• Department for Work and Pensions Personal Independence Payment Statement of Entitlement, which gives details of your points awarded for Mobility Activities Moving Around activity, and Planning and Following Journeys’ activity
• A letter from Social Care Services on headed paper or an email from a social worker
• A letter from a medical professional on official headed paper that gives details of your disability and how it affects you carrying out normal day-to-day activities

Where possible, please send photocopies of your documents as we cannot accept any responsibility for the loss of documents in the post. We will return any original documents to you after we have processed your application, if you request us to do so.

We aim to process your application within 28 working days, if all the details you send us are correct. Your pass will be sent directly to your home address.

Using your bus pass

The pass must be presented to the on-bus electronic card machine. The rules of the scheme make your pass valid from 9.30am to 11pm Monday to Friday, and any time on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

There is a 50% fare for concessionary bus pass holders on all SLINKY services within Somerset. You may also be able to use your bus pass on certain types of journeys provided by Community Transport.

You can only use your pass for journeys that start or finish in England.

You cannot use your pass for journeys on:

• Berry’s Superfast services
• National Express services
• Rail services
• Stagecoach Falcon service

London uses the Oyster Card System, so English National Concessionary Travel Passes issued outside London may not read on the Oyster Card machines. For free travel in London you must show the driver the pass instead of presenting it to the card machine.

Your pass is valid until the date printed on it.

Renewing your bus pass

If your age-related bus pass is due to expire, it will automatically be renewed approximately a month before your pass expires to the address we currently hold.

If you haven’t received your renewed pass, please email [email protected] to confirm your address. If the pass has been sent to an old address there may be a £10 fee to replace it.

If you hold a disabled-entitled pass, we will continue to send you an invitation to renew to the address that the expiring pass was sent to, unless you have told us that you have changed your address.

If you have not received your new bus pass, this may be because:

• You have only used your bus pass in London, where passes are not recorded on the Oyster ticket machine
• You have not told us that you have changed your address, and your new pass has been sent to your old address

If you have not received your new bus pass, please phone us on 0300 123 2224 or email us at [email protected] so that we can process your renewal for you.

Request a replacement bus pass

If you need a replacement English National Concessionary Travel Scheme Pass for any reason, there is a £10 admin fee. You should not have to provide a new photo unless the one on your current pass is out of date or your appearance has changed significantly.

Please note – you can only use this service if you need a replacement pass, for example, if your current pass has been damaged, lost or stolen.

You will need a debit card or credit card to complete your payment.

This form has 3 pages and will take approximately 2 minutes to complete.

When we have received your application and payment we will order you a replacement pass which will be sent directly to you within 10 working days.

Or, you can phone our Contact Centre on 0300 123 2224 a nd they will take payment for you.

If your pass is due to expire, please see the ‘Renewing your bus pass’ section of this page for what happens.

Update your bus pass details

You can update the address details of your English National Concessionary Travel Scheme Pass by using the button below, or you can email   [email protected]   and we will update them for you. You can also use this form to report the death of a card holder.

If you have moved out of Somerset, you must tell us. Your Somerset record will be deactivated and the Somerset issued pass will no longer be valid for use 14 days after deactivation. Please contact your new travel concession authority to apply for a new pass. If you don’t know who this is, please see Apply for an elderly person bus pass or Apply for a disabled bus pass

If you have moved inside Somerset, all you need to do is update us with your new address, your pass will still be valid until it expires.

If you move to Somerset from another authority, you must tell that authority that you have moved. They will cancel your existing travel pass, and you must apply to us for a new travel pass. Please go to the ‘Introduction’ section of this page to download and fill in the application form, and submit it with a passport-style photo and proof of eligibility.

Update your details

If you have an English National Concessionary Travel pass and want to get a replacement, there is information about how to do this in the ‘Renewing your bus pass’ section of this page.

The bus pass is free, but there is an admin charge for replacing a valid pass if it has been lost, stolen or damaged. Please make sure you tell us if you change your address – if you don’t, you could be charged for a replacement.

• Concessionary bus pass information leaflet (PDF 1.38MB)
• Concessionary bus pass application form (PDF 970KB)
• State Pension age timetables (PDF 47.9KB)
• Somerset Council Concessionary Travel Scheme 2024/2025 (PDF 311KB)

Last reviewed: March 1, 2024 by Neil

Next review due: September 1, 2024

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Norilsk: The city built by gulag prisoners where Russia guards its Arctic secrets

Environmental activists are frustrated by how authorities handled a diesel spill which poured into two Arctic rivers in late May.

International correspondent @DiMagnaySky

Friday 3 July 2020 23:41, UK

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The drive from Norilsk airport to the city takes you past mile after mile of crumbling, Soviet-era factories.

It looks like an endless, rusting scrapyard - a jumble of pipes, industrial junk and frost-bitten brickwork. If you were looking for an industrial apocalypse film setting, this would be your place - but you're unlikely to get the permissions.

Norilsk was built in Stalin's times by gulag prisoners. This gritty industrial city is a testament to their endurance both of the cruelty of Stalin's regime and of the harsh polar climate. There were no thoughts then on how to build to protect the environment, just to survive it.

Vasily Ryabinin doesn't think much has changed, at least in ecological terms. He used to work for the local branch of the federal environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, but quit in June after exposing what he says was a failure to investigate properly the environmental impact of the gigantic diesel spill which poured into two Arctic rivers in late May.

At 21,000 tonnes, it was the largest industrial spill in the polar Arctic .

Despite the Kremlin declaring a federal emergency and sending a host of different agencies to participate in the clean-up, just last week Mr Ryabinin and activists from Greenpeace Russia found another area where technical water used in industrial processes was being pumped directly into the tundra from a nearby tailing pond. Russia's investigative committee has promised to investigate.

"The ecological situation here is so bad," Mr Ryabinin says.

"The latest constructions such as the tailing pond at the Talnack ore-processing plant were built exclusively by Nornickel chief executive Vladimir Potanin's team and supposedly in accordance with ecological standards, but on satellite images you can see that all the lakes in the vicinity have unnatural colours and obviously something has got into them."

Mining company Nornickel would disagree. It has admitted flagrant violations at the tailing pond and suspended staff it deems responsible at both the Talnack plant and at Norilsk Heat and Power plant no 3 where the diesel spill originated from.

On Thursday it appointed Andrey Bougrov, from its senior management board, to the newly-created role of senior vice president for environmental protection. It has a clear environmental strategy, provides regular updates on the status of the spill, and its Twitter feed is filled with climate-related alerts.

But what investors read is very different to the picture on the ground.

Norilsk used to be a closed city - one of dozens across the Soviet Union shut off to protect industrial secrets. Foreigners need special permissions approved by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to enter the region. It would take an invitation from Nornickel to make that happen and, for the past month since the spill, that has not been forthcoming.

Unlike in Soviet times, Russian citizens are now free to come and go. That's why our Sky News Moscow team were able to fly in and travel around the city, even if getting to the spill site was blocked. What they were able to film provides a snapshot of the immense challenge Russia faces in upgrading its Soviet-era industrial infrastructure, particularly at a time when climate change is melting the permafrost on which much of it was built.

Just downwind from one of the rusting factories on the city outskirts is a huge expanse of dead land. The skeletal remains of trees stand forlorn against the howling Arctic winds. Sulphur dioxide poisoning has snuffed the life out of all that lived here. Norilsk is the world's worst emitter of sulphur dioxide by a substantial margin.

"For 80km south of here everything is dead," Mr Ryabinin says, "and for at least 10km in that direction too. Everything here depends on the wind."

Immediately after the spill, Mr Ryabinin filmed and took samples from the Daldykan river just a few kilometres from the fuel tank which had leaked. By that point the river was a churning mix of diesel and red sludge dredged up from the riverbed by the force of the leak. Norilsk's rivers have turned red before and the chemical residues have sunk to the bottom, killing all life there. Nothing has lived in those rivers for decades.

In his capacity as deputy head of the local environmental watchdog, Mr Ryabinin says he insisted that he be allowed to fly further north to check the levels of contamination in Lake Pyasino and beyond.

Nornickel at the time claimed the lake was untouched by the spill. Mr Ryabinin says his boss encouraged him to let things be.

"I can't be sure I would have found anything, but this sort of confrontation - making sure I didn't go there with a camera, let alone with bottles for taking samples, it was all very clear to me. It was the final straw."

Rosprirodnadzor refused to comment to Sky News on Mr Ryabinin's allegations or suggestions that the agency was working hand in hand with Nornickel.

Georgy Kavanosyan is an environmental blogger with a healthy 37,000 following on YouTube. Shortly after the spill, he set out for Lake Pyasino and to the Pyasina River beyond to see how far the diesel had spread.

"We set out at night so that the Norilsk Nickel security wouldn't detect us. I say at night, but they've got polar nights there now, north of the Arctic Circle. So it's still light but it's quieter and we managed to go past all the cordons."

He is one of the few to have provided evidence that the diesel has in fact travelled far beyond where the company admits. Not just the 1,200km (745m) length of Lake Pyasino but into the river beyond.

He says his measurements indicated a volume of hydrocarbons dissolved in the water of between two and three times normal levels. He thinks after he published his findings on YouTube, the authorities' vigilance increased.

Greenpeace Russia have spent the last two weeks trying to obtain samples from Lake Pyasino and the surrounding area. They have faced difficulties getting around and flying their samples out for independent analysis.

They are now waiting for results from a laboratory in St Petersburg but say the samples remain valid technically for just four days after collection and that they weren't able to make that deadline due to the authorities' actively obstructing their work.

Elena Sakirko from Greenpeace Russia specialises in oil spills and says this has happened to her before. This time, a police helicopter flew to the hunter's hut where they were staying and confiscated the fuel for the boat they were using. Then a deputy for the Moscow city parliament tasked with bringing the samples back from Norilsk was forced to go back empty-handed.

"We were told at the airport we needed permission from the security department of Nornickel," Ms Sakirko says. "We asked them to show us some law or statement to prove that this was legal or what the basis for this was, but they haven't showed us anything and we still don't understand it."

Nornickel announced this week that the critical stage of the diesel spill is over. The company is now finalising dates for a press tour for foreign media and for other international environmentalists.

Mr Ryabinin thinks this should have happened weeks ago.

"If we don't let scientists come to the Arctic region to evaluate the impact of the accident, then in the future if anything similar happens, we won't know what to do."

A spokesperson for Nornickel said the company "is actively cooperating with the scientific community and will meticulously assess both the causes and effects of the accident."

Nornickel considers permafrost thawing to be the primary cause of the accident, but is waiting for the end of investigation before making a final statement, the spokesperson said.

They added that the company "accepts full responsibility for the incidents on its sites these past two months and holds itself accountable for any infrastructural deficits or poor decisions by personnel.

"The imperative is to do everything to clean up our sites, instil a stronger culture of transparency and safety in our workforce, and ensure that such situations do not occur in the future."