A call was made to align the age for concessionary travel in England to that already in place elsewhere in the UK
A petition calling on the government to provide free bus travel to everyone aged over 60 in England has received a government response after passing the requisite 10,000 signatory mark.
The call was made to extend the reach of concessions which are currently available only to those of state pension age in most of England in order to bring it in line with that in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In response, the Department for Transport (DfT) notes, chiefly, that concessionary travel is a policy area devolved to the home nations. It adds that local authorities have the power to lower the age of eligibility.
Over-60s in London and in the Liverpool City Region can travel via bus for free via Transport for London and Merseytravel’s respective schemes.
The petition, which has by now attracted more than 19,000 signatures, states, in part: “We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60… As people get older some over 60s drive less and less, therefore we believe we need equality on public transport.”
The DfT response, which was necessary after the call reached 10,000 signatures, notes that the the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme costs £700 million per year. It adds that any changes would need to consider the “scheme’s financial sustainability”.
The response also notes the £712 million allocated to local authorities around the time of the most recent Budget in October 2024 which could be used to extend concessions for local passengers.
It concludes: “Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area and as such, the eligibility age for the bus pass differs between the devolved nations of the United Kingdom.
“This means, in effect, that there are different schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so the administrative arrangements are entirely separate.”
In 2023, the government was required to reply to a petition that the older person’s pass allow free travel by rail.
