CONCESSIONARY TRAVEL IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

From 1st April 2006, it is a legal requirement that district councils must provide free local off-peak bus travel for their elderly and disabled residents.  Bus drivers must accept valid passes.

The law defines some of these terms:
"district council" is the city/borough/district that you pay your council tax to;
"local" means within the district;
"off-peak" means after 09:30 to 23:00 on Mondays to Fridays, anytime on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays
"bus" means a local stopping service, and some express services with no more than 15 miles between stops (e.g. Transpeak) but not coach services, community services such as "dial a ride", trams or trains;
"elderly" means aged over 60, whether male or female;
"disabled" has a list of categories, please check with your own local authority to see if you qualify.

From 1st April 2008, the law has changed so that a pass issued by any council in England is valid for free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England.

A new standard pass design has been introduced, which incorporates a digital photograph of the holder and can to be read electronically.  Over time all buses will be equipped with card readers, so that journeys may be recorded automatically. 

A selection of Frequently Asked Questions can be found here. A longer list of FAQs can also be found by visiting this link.

Most districts in the region offer more than the legal minimum, often through County-wide schemes. 

Some schemes also allow travel by train and tram.  On trains, reductions are given on the fare appropriate to the time of day, e.g. a concessionary return before 09:30 may cost more than a concessionary return bought after 09:30.