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Travelling by Bus and Coach

Going by bus

Free bus travel anywhere in England for eligible older and disabled people

Since April 2008 everyone who is resident in England and is 'eligible disabled' has been entitled to a free annual bus pass giving free off-peak travel on local buses anywhere in England.

'Off-peak' is between 9.30 am and 11.00 pm Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays.

You are 'eligible disabled' if you:

are blind or partially sighted
are profoundly or severely deaf
are without speech
have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to walk
do not have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms
have a learning disability
would, if you applied for a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have your application refused under section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) on grounds other than persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol

Local authorities may offer further benefits to their residents, such as free travel outside off-peak times or reduced tram or rail travel. But these will apply only for travel in the local area, not elsewhere in England.

To find out your local district council go to: www.direct.gov.uk .

Services that are not covered

On 1 April 2009, the rules about the services on which you can use your bus pass were clarified. You can use your bus pass on all local bus services in England but, as a general rule, not on the following types of non-standard service:

services where most seats can be reserved (eg coaches)
temporary services running for less than six weeks (eg shuttle buses to special events)
tourist services or services on vehicles of historical interest (eg open-top bus tours)
rail replacement services
services where 'extras' (eg refreshments or car parking) are included in the fare

For detailed information on the changes to bus concessions see the DfT website.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/BusAndCoachTravel/DG_10036264

Going by coach

National Express offers concessionary fares on their scheduled coach services if you are over 60 or disabled. No membership is involved but you have to be prepared to show proof of your eligibility - www.nationalexpress.com.

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These pages are produced by Hampshire Coalition of Disabled People, if you would like any more information, please contact us.