Many mobility scooter users rely on buses and trams to reach shops and appointments, and the English concessionary pass is the scheme that removes the fare on eligible local services. This guide covers the position in England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own concessionary schemes with their own cards and rules, and GOV.UK directs readers to separate pages for each.
Who issues the pass
GOV.UK’s page on applying for a disabled person’s bus pass states that passes are issued as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, and that applicants should contact their local council to find out who issues disabled bus passes in their area. It also states that a person is eligible for a disabled person’s pass if they live in England and are "eligible disabled", and that the pass is available in England only.
The legal duty sits with travel concession authorities. Section 145A of the Transport Act 2000, inserted by the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, provides that a travel concession authority in England, other than a London authority, must on application issue a permit, free of charge, to a person who appears to the authority to be an elderly or disabled person whose sole or principal residence is in its area.
What the permit gives
Under section 145A, a person holding a current statutory travel concession permit who travels on an eligible journey on an eligible service is entitled, on production of the permit, to a waiver of the fare. An eligible journey is one on a single public service vehicle, in one direction, that is between places in England, that begins at a "relevant time" and that is not a journey beginning on the London bus network, which is covered by its own free travel arrangements. The Act therefore limits the entitlement by time and by place, and the specific hours and services should be confirmed with the issuing council.
The statutory definition of a disabled person
Section 146 of the Transport Act 2000 defines a "disabled person" for these purposes. A person qualifies if they:
- 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 adverse effect on their ability to walk;
- do not have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms;
- have a learning disability, defined as a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning; or
- would, if they applied for a driving licence under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have the application refused on physical fitness grounds under section 92 of that Act, other than because of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
Section 145A(6) lets the Secretary of State issue guidance to English authorities which they must have regard to when deciding whether a person is a disabled person. That is why local application forms differ in detail even though the statutory list is the same across England.
Where mobility scooters fit in
For a scooter user, the criterion about a long-term adverse effect on the ability to walk is the most relevant. Whether an individual meets it is a decision for the issuing council, based on its assessment of the application and the guidance it must consider. Using a mobility scooter is not itself named in the statute as a qualifying condition, and the Act does not say that owning one automatically qualifies a person.
A pass is not a scooter permit
A concessionary pass and permission to take a scooter aboard are separate things. Travel South Yorkshire states that the mobility scooter permit is not a fare card and that users must still pay or use an ENCTS pass to travel. First Bus adds that mobility scooters are carried at each operator’s discretion, with no legal requirement to carry them. The practical position is that a rider needs both a pass for the fare and, where the operator requires it, a permit for the scooter. The site’s guide to taking a mobility scooter on the bus explains the operator side.
Frequently asked questions
Does the English pass work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? GOV.UK describes its page as covering England only and points to separate information for the other nations, so travel there should be checked against their own schemes.
Do I pay for the pass? Under section 145A(4), the permit must be issued free of charge by an English authority to an applicant who qualifies.
Who decides whether I qualify? The local travel concession authority decides, applying the statutory definition and any guidance it must have regard to.
Is there a London arrangement? The Act excludes journeys beginning on the London bus network from the English concession and refers to separate London free travel arrangements. Details for London should be taken from the London authority.
The bottom line
In England, a disabled person’s bus pass is issued free by the local council to a person who meets the Transport Act 2000 definition of a disabled person, including a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to walk. It removes the fare on eligible local bus journeys but does not replace the operator’s own permit for carrying a mobility scooter.
Sources
- GOV.UK, "Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass"
- legislation.gov.uk, Transport Act 2000, section 146 (Mandatory concessions: supplementary)
- legislation.gov.uk, Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, section 1 (inserting section 145A of the Transport Act 2000)