Travel Aid
Full details of travel aid are given
below.
Who qualifies?
You can get a Travel Aid pass if you live in
Bedford and:
- you are in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance
or
- you are a lone parent in receipt of Income
Support, or
- you are a 16 or 17 year old unemployed school
leaver registered with Jobs Hub.
How much does it
cost?
A Travel Aid pass costs £1.00 and is valid for
28 days. During that time, you can travel on most, buses in the
Bedford or Central Bedfordshire area at half the adult single fare
(rounded up to the nearest 5p). Simply show your pass to the driver
when buying your ticket.
When can I use it?
Your Travel Aid pass is valid after 0900 on Mondays to
Fridays and on all day Saturdays and Sundays. You can use it on
most local buses but not express coaches, community transport,
tours or excursions. You can also travel on buses that
go outside this area providing your journey starts or finishes in
Bedford or Central Bedfordshire. Travel Aid can only be used
on the section of the Stagecoach X5 service between Cambridge and
Milton Keynes and is only valid for journeys starting or finishing
in Bedford Borough or Central Bedfordshire. See below
for details.
How do I obtain a
pass?
Step 1 - Fill in the application form obtained from your local
Job Centre Plus (or Jobs Hub).
Job Centre Plus (or Jobs Hub) must stamp your application.
They will not accept applications for stamping unless all of the
personal details are completed in advance.
You must enter the date on which you want the Travel Aid pass to
be valid - this must be no more than 7 days after the date on which
you take the application form to be stamped.
Step 2 - Take the completed application form to the Job Centre
Plus (or Jobs Hub) for stamping.
The Job Centre Plus (or Jobs Hub) decide whether or not you are
eligible for a Travel Aid pass, based on the type of benefit you
receive. Bedford Borough Council cannot enter in to any
correspondence on the question of your eligibility.
Step 3 - Take your stamped application for to the issuing
point
For Bedford Borough Council residents, the issuing point is:
The Travel Shop, Bedford Bus Station
You will need to pay £1 for each 28 day period of
validity. If you have not held a Travel Aid pass before, you
will also need to bring a passport sized photograph of
yourself so that you can be provided with a photocard.
How do I renew my pass?
When your pass expires, at the end of the 28
day period, simply fill in another application form and repeat
steps 1 to 3 above.
You can renew your Travel Aid pass up to
7 days before the old pass expires.
Conditions of use
(1) When Job Centre Plus (or Jobs Hub) determine
whether or not you are eligible to hold a Travel Aid pass, their
decision is final and no correspondence shall be entered in to.
(2) Travel Aid passes are valid for use on most local bus
services in Bedford and Central Bedfordshire. Bus companies may
restrict the use of Travel Aid passes beyond a certain distance -
If in doubt, contact the bus company before travelling.
Travel Aid passes are NOT accepted on the following
services:
- Centrebus
- Green Line
- National Express
- Stagecoach service 99 (Milton Keynes -
Luton Airport Rail Link)
- Stagecoach X5 service beyond Milton
Keynes (the section of Route between Milton Keynes Rail Station and
Oxford)
- Other Express coach
services
- Community transport services such as
The Villager
- Tours or excursions
(3) Your journey must start or finish in
Bedford or Central Bedfordshire.
(4) A valid photocard and a Travel Aid pass bearing the number
on the photocard must be presented together to obtain the
concession stated in this scheme.
(5) Travel Aid passes are NOT transferable. They can only be
used by the card holder.
(6) The Travel Aid pass and photocard remain the property of the
issuing council and must be shown when buying a ticket and at any
other time on demand.
(7) The bus driver (or other company official) has the right to
question the holder's entitlement in suspicious or doubtful
circumstances and may retain the Travel Aid pass and photocard for
verification by the issuing council.
(8) Bedford Borough Council reserve the right to require a new
photograph to be taken if the appearance of the holder changes
significantly.
(9) Holders of a Travel Aid pass are subject to all regulations
concerning the carriage of passengers and the standard conditions
of the operators.
(10) No refunds will be considered.
(11) Neither Job Centre Plus (or Jobs Hub) nor the issuing
councils will tolerate physical or verbal abuse of their
staff. Every effort will be made to prosecute those people
who commit acts of assault, aggression or verbal/physical abuse on
members of staff. Persons committing such behaviour will lose their
entitlement to a Travel Aid pass as well as other benefits.
Travel Aid is administered by Bedford Borough Council in
partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council.