End of the road for free go-anywhere bus pass for the over-60s

dzug1

Park and Ride is regarded as a value added service - ie the service provided is not just travel, but parking and travel.

So it will really depend on which of the following scenarios apply in the view of the service provider:

if you pay for the car park the bus ride can be free for pensioners

there's an inclusive park/ride fee - pensioners will pay

the car park is free - the bus can be free too

karin

I got the following from a Department of Transport Site I found - I think it clarifies just about everything - Even I understood!!

Hope it proves helpful.

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Concessionary fares

arrangements clarified

The Department for Transport is bringing in new regulations to take certain services out of the

scope of the free concessionary pass.

Validity of concessionary passes has been clarified, so sightseeing tours, express coaches etc are excluded from the scheme unless local authorities want them in.

The new regulations take effect from 1 April and follow a consultation exercise.

They clarify that certain services which do not really serve the function

of a local bus service, even if they are technically licensed as one, are not included in

the free scheme.

However in every case, if local circumstances suggest passes should be

valid on such services, local authorities have the power to offer the concession.

Any bus or coach service with stops less than 15 miles apart is considered a local service, where it is a regular service for the purpose of local travel, rather than for tourist purposes alone.

Services removed from statutory validity of free passes are:

1. Those where more than half of the accommodation on the vehicle can be reserved in advance of travel; e.g. National Express;

2. The service is intended to run for less than six consecutive weeks;

3. It is operated primarily for tourism or because of the historical interest of the vehicle;

4. Rail replacement services;

5. The fare for the service includes a special amenity element (eg Park & Ride, services which

include admission to an attraction etc).


The exemption for services with pre-booking is intended to remove the

validity of passes on express services where they are registered as local bus services, for

example National Express between Golders Green or Heathrow and London, and demand responsive

services, though in both cases local authorities can opt to include these if they

consider it appropriate.


N.B. - Plans to exempt services which operate less than once a week have been withdrawn●

Biggles

karin wrote: »

Services removed from statutory validity of free passes are:

1. Those where more than half of the accommodation on the vehicle can be reserved in advance of travel; e.g. National Express;

2. The service is intended to run for less than six consecutive weeks;

3. It is operated primarily for tourism or because of the historical interest of the vehicle;

4. Rail replacement services;

5. The fare for the service includes a special amenity element (eg Park & Ride, services which include admission to an attraction etc).

Those, of course, are services 'removed from statutory validity'. But your council may still, at its discretion, choose to include any of those services.

Suffolk, for example, has always allowed 24hr free travel, though the statutory minimum was always 'peak hours' (9:30am onwards).

And I'm glad to say that I've just heard that Suffolk will continue to allow free use of Park & Ride with the national bus pass.

Steve_xx

My aunt, aged 74, lives up north and she has a bus pass. If she travels to London for a short break can she use her pass on London Underground and the buses in London too?

LittleVoice

Steve_xx wrote: »

My aunt, aged 74, lives up north and she has a bus pass. If she travels to London for a short break can she use her pass on London Underground and the buses in London too?

The pass will allow free travel on the regular buses, not on the tube.
(London Boroughs pay for their own eligible residents to have the tube as an add-on.)

Steve_xx

LittleVoice wrote: »

The pass will allow free travel on the regular buses, not on the tube.
(London Boroughs pay for their own eligible residents to have the tube as an add-on.)

Thanks for the advice.

I take it then that she would simply show the bus driver her pass as opposed to having to touch the oyster card device?

Also, I guess she would need to acquire an oyster card for the tube. So then I take it that as she's 74 that the daily cap rate would be as per the child rate? I had a scan through the TFL site and have concuded that maybe she wouldn't get a reduced rate on the tube?

dzug1

Steve_xx wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.

I take it then that she would simply show the bus driver her pass as opposed to having to touch the oyster card device?

Also, I guess she would need to acquire an oyster card for the tube. So then I take it that as she's 74 that the daily cap rate would be as per the child rate?

Correct - the provincial bus passes will not register on the Oyster reader. The driver presses a button on his ticket machine to record a journey. If he can be bothered that is.

She won't get child rate on the tube - it is normal adult fares. If she has a senior railcard she can take it and a PAYG Oyster to a tube ticket office where it will be registered (there may be a form to fill in) and the Oyster off peak cap will be reduced by one-third. The exercise will need repeating when the railcard is renewed.

Steve_xx

dzug1 wrote: »

Correct - the provincial bus passes will not register on the Oyster reader. The driver presses a button on his ticket machine to record a journey. If he can be bothered that is.

She won't get child rate on the tube - it is normal adult fares. If she has a senior railcard she can take it and a PAYG Oyster to a tube ticket office where it will be registered (there may be a form to fill in) and the Oyster off peak cap will be reduced by one-third. The exercise will need repeating when the railcard is renewed.

Thanks for the information on the Railcard. I don't believe she has one of those, but I'll certainly look into getting one if there is a cost advantage.

I was interested that you mentioned a PAYG Oyster Card. Are there different types of Oyster Card, or is it as I think, ie dependent on what you put on them?

dzug1

Steve_xx wrote: »

Thanks for the information on the Railcard. I don't believe she has one of those, but I'll certainly look into getting one if there is a cost advantage.

I was interested that you mentioned a PAYG Oyster Card. Are there different types of Oyster Card, or is it as I think, ie dependent on what you put on them?

They are the same card whether you put a 7 day or longer travelcard on them, PAYG money or both. Only difference is that if it's PAYG only you pay a £3 deposit for the card.

The railcard costs £24 and is worthwhile if during its validity (one year) you do journeys that at normal fares would have cost (roughly) £72 or more.

Steve_xx

dzug1 wrote: »

They are the same card whether you put a 7 day or longer travelcard on them, PAYG money or both. Only difference is that if it's PAYG only you pay a £3 deposit for the card.

The railcard costs £24 and is worthwhile if during its validity (one year) you do journeys that at normal fares would have cost (roughly) £72 or more.

Oh OK I see. I paid a deposit for mine, but I reckon it puts a cap on the daily useage. Is that correct? Ought I to change it for a different type?