When can I use my pass?
You can use your pass on local bus services at the following times:
Monday to Friday – between 9.30am and 11.00pm
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday – all day
If you are eligible disabled, your National Travel Pass will entitle you to free travel on local buses every day of the week at any time.
Which services is the National Concessionary Travel Pass not valid on?
The pass is not valid on bus services in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. However, passes can be used on the Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly, as they are part of England.
The pass is not valid on National Express and similar long distance coach services.
The pass is not valid on tram services or the London Underground.
Will the new pass be valid on trains?
The new pass will not be valid for free travel on trains throughout England. However, the passes will entitle the holder to discounted local rail travel. These discounts are:
For eligible senior citizens: half fare rail travel at all times
For people who are eligible disabled: free rail travel at all times
These discounts apply to services wholly within Leicestershire (including Leicester) and between Leicestershire stations and Derby, Nottingham, Grantham, Peterborough, Kettering and Nuneaton.
Will I still receive tokens for taxis?
Tokens for taxis will continue to be issued instead of a pass to eligible people. Forms will be sent out to those eligible for tokens at the end of March.
Will the passes be lifetime or will they have an expiry date?
Passes will be dated to expire five years after the issue date. You will be advised of how to renew your pass nearer the time.
Why do the passes have an expiry date?
The pass specified by government includes an electronic chip, which in due course will be read by machines on buses (although no Leicester buses have these fitted yet). The lifetime of these chips will be five years so individual passes may need replacing in that time due to being worn out. It is also thought that there will be continuous technological development aimed at providing more accurate records of journeys taken and fraud prevention, and passes may be changed to get the most benefit from this.
What will my pass look like?
There are two types of pass being issued:
For eligible senior citizens: a pass with a blue strip down the right hand side
For eligible disabled people: a pass with an orange strip down the right hand side.
The new bus pass is a smartcard. What is a smartcard?
A smartcard is a plastic card containing a microchip which can store information electronically. Smartcards have a number of advantages over traditional paper-based passes. When used on smartcard reading equipment, they are highly resistant to fraudulent replication.
What do I do when I board a bus?
You must show your new pass to the driver when you board a bus. The new pass is known as a “smartcard”. In some areas, the bus will have ticket machines that inform the driver of which journeys you are entitled to make. The driver will instruct you on the use of this equipment. Otherwise, the driver will inspect your pass as you board. You will then be issued with a ticket to indicate that your pass has been accepted.
