Bus Pass
UPDATE
Some English National Concessionary Travel Passes that have been
recently issued are not currently working on card readers.
Stagecoach are upgrading their systems. Bus drivers are aware of
this situation and your travel will not be affected.
If you have been issued with a bus pass that does
not work on a card reader and would like to speak to
us regarding this please contact the Community Welfare Team on
01234 718075.
How do I apply for a travel
pass?
You will need to complete an application
form and provide proof of entitlement and residency. The passes
will be produced by an external manufacturer and will usually be
posted direct to your home address, this could take up to three
weeks from date of application.
You can pick up an application form from the Customer Service
Centre and Borough Hall Receptions or request one by post.
Alternatively, if you wish to download a form or complete an
online application please do so by clicking on one of the following
links:
Downloadable forms
Older Person's Application
Form
Disabled Persons's Application Form
Online Application
Forms
Older Person's Application Form
Disabled Person's Application Form
REMEMBER - You are only eligible for free travel if you have a
valid travel pass.
If you do not have a pass, you will have to pay the full fare (even
if you have made an application and are waiting for your pass to be
posted to you). Please note no temporary travel pass is
available.
Who is eligible for the
concession?
You are entitled to a travel pass if you are a
permanent resident in the Bedford Borough area and
are entitled by age or have an eligible
disability (under the Transport Act 2000).
From 6th April 2010 new rules apply for
applicants applying for an Older Person's Concessionary Travel Pass
(Change
in the age of eligibility to an Older Person's Bus Pass). Click
here to see when you are eligible.
The onus is always on the applicant to prove their
entitlement for a concessionary travel pass.
What documents do I need to provide to prove my
entitlement to a pass?
You will need to provide
proof that you are a permanent resident of Bedford Borough and that
you are eligible by age or have an eligible disability.
Proofs should be recent and show your full name and address, they
can be either original documents or photocopies. The types of
documents that can be accepted are subject to change from time to
time; please see the current application form for details.
The following documents can be accepted as
Proof of
age:
- Birth
certificate
- Passport
- Driving Licence
- Pension Letter
Proof of
address:
- State
retirement pension letter
- Utility bill (less than 4 months old) e.g. Gas, electric or
telephone
- Council tax or benefit letter
- Driving license
Proof of disability for automatic
eligibility:
- Blue
Badge (copy of both sides showing serial number and expiry
date)
- Proof that applicant is currently in receipt of the HIGHER rate
MOBILITY component of Disability Living Allowance
- Proof that applicant is in receipt of War Pensioner's Mobility
Supplement (WPMS)/Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Tariff 1-8
If you are not in receipt of any of the above benefits or a blue
badge, please speak to a member of staff who can advise you.
Do I need to provide a
photo?
Yes, you will
also need to provide a passport quality sized colour photograph of
yourself (exactly 35mm x 45mm). It should be a full face view (no
hat or sunglasses), clear and sharp, not too light or dark with
your face in the centre of the image, have been taken within the
past year and against a cream background.
Without a
suitable photograph your pass cannot be produced. Old, poor
quality snap shots are not suitable and cannot
be used.
What is the National Bus
Concession?
The National Bus Concession (introduced on
1st April 2008) enables users to get off-peak travel on
local buses anywhere in England.
English National
Concessionary Travel Scheme Leaflet
What does the pass
allow?
The pass
entitles you to free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England
(not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland).
When exactly is off-peak
travel?
Off-peak hours
are 9.30am until 11pm Monday – Friday, and all day weekends and
bank holidays.
Does Bedford Borough Council offer
any additional travel benefits?
Bedford Borough Council's concessionary travel
pass holders are allowed to travel at anytime within the borough's
administrative area.
What is a ‘local’
bus?
There is a legal
definition, but in everyday terms we mean the bus services used by
the general public running in towns and cities or linking nearby
towns with one another or running between towns and the villages
around them. Community bus services like the Flittabus, Ivel
Sprinter, Road Runner, Villager and Whitbread Wanderbus are
included. If in doubt, check with the operator of the
service.
Routes operated in the Bedford
Borough area:
Bedford Park & Ride
Cedar Coaches
East Beds, Community Bus Limited (Ivel
Sprinter)
Flittabus
Grant Palmer
Roadrunner
Stagecoach
The Villager
Whitbread Wanderer
Will I be able to enjoy free travel everywhere within
the UK?
No, the
concession will only apply within England (not Scotland, Wales or
Northern Ireland).
If I visit an area that offers additional services,
will I be entitled to
them?
Probably not. As
a general rule, local authorities will only provide additional
services for their own residents. Some authorities, however, may
provide them – check with the relevant authority in the area to
which you intend to travel.
I don’t live in London, but I visit relatives there
occasionally. Will I be able to enjoy the same benefits as a
freedom pass holder if I travel
there?
No. Because
those benefits are paid for by the London authorities, only London
Freedom Pass holders will be able to enjoy additional local travel
on the tube, trains and trams. You will, however, be able to enjoy
the statutory national concession of free off-peak bus travel when
visiting the capital.
What does the pass look
like?
Image of Older Person's Travel
Pass
Image of Disabled Person's Travel
Pass
What time-restrictions are there on the
buses?
None when you
are travelling wholly within the Bedford Borough area - if you are
boarding a bus at peak times i.e. before 9.30am Monday to Friday
you can use your pass on local bus journeys that start and finish
within Bedford Borough Council's administrative area. You will not
be allowed to use your travel pass if you board a local
bus before 9.30am Monday to Friday to a fare stage beyond
Bedford Borough Council's administrative area i.e. you will
have to pay the full fare.
What do I do if my circumstances
change?
If you move
address you must notify Bedford Borough Council in writing, if you
do not, you will not receive a new pass when yours has expired. If
you move out of the Bedford Borough administrative area you should
return your pass to the Council and make an application to your new
local authority.
What do I do if I mislay, damage or have my travel pass
stolen?
You will need
to complete a form and return it with the necessary proofs and fee
(for lost or damaged passes) to Bedford Borough Council.
IMPORTANT - please note, we cannot provide an immediate replacement
for a lost, damaged or stolen pass and you will have to pay full
fare for your journeys until the replacement has been manufactured
and posted direct to your home address.
If you do not receive your replacement
pass within 28 days you MUST LET US KNOW. Failure to
report the none receipt of the replacement travel pass will result
in additional administrative fee.
Is my pass valid on the
train?
By commercial
agreement with rail operators you can use the pass to obtain 50%
discounts on a few routes during off-peak hours (i.e. not in the
statutory scheme). Further details please take a look
at the Travelling by
Train leaflet or contact us on 01234
718075.
My bus pass is due to expire. What
do I have to do to receive my new pass?
Older
Person's:
You won't have to do anything. Currently all applicants who hold
an Older Person's bus pass which is due for renewal will
automatically be reissued with a new one. The new pass is sent out
direct from our manufacturer to an applicant's home address.
Note - If you have moved address please ensure you
inform the Community Welfare Team (on 01234
718075) before your current pass expires to stop any
additional delays receiving your new bus pass.
Disabled
Person's:
You will be sent a renewal application form
approximately 2 months prior to the expiry date of your current bus
pass. In order for you to receive a new pass you will need to
complete the renewal form, provide up to date proof of disability
(which proves that you still meet the Department for Transport's
eligibility criteria) and return it back to us.
Note: Example of proofs accepted are
illustrated in the renewal application form.
For more information regarding the English National Concessionary
Travel Scheme visit the Department for Transport's website:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/concessionary