Extend free bus travel for people over 60 in England
The Parliament petitions site records 101,204 signatures for this petition, which closed on 27 June 2025. The Government responded on 12 February 2025. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 5 January 2026.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Extend free bus travel for people over 60 in England
We call on the Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London. We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60.
Currently, people in England who do not live in London are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach the state pension age, which we believe has changed dramatically. As people get older some over 60s drive less and less, therefore we believe we need equality on public transport. It would mean England had the same provision as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 12 February 2025; the petitions site lists the Department for Transport as responsible. Its summary:
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme costs around £700 million annually. Any changes to the statutory scheme must be carefully considered for their impact on its financial sustainability.
The response in full:
The government wants everyone to have access to public transport and is committed to improving services. We also recognise the importance of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) in supporting local bus travel, assisting with access to essential local services and helping those who use it to stay active and avoid isolation.
The ENCTS provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as lowering the age of eligibility, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.
Local authorities in England do have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, by extending the age of eligibility for the older persons’ bus pass. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources, depending on the needs and priorities of each area.
At the Budget on 30 October, the government confirmed a £1 billion boost for buses, of which £712 million has been allocated to local authorities to support and improve bus services. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available in the local area.
Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area and as such, the eligibility age for the bus pass differs between the devolved nations of the United Kingdom. This means, in effect, that there are different schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so the administrative arrangements are entirely separate.
Department for Transport
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 649 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, with 5.9 signatures per 1,000 electors (451 in all).
101,058 of the signatures were from the UK and 146 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend | 451 | 76,245 | 5.9 |
| South Ribble | 431 | 73,420 | 5.9 |
| Gateshead Central and Whickham | 396 | 69,827 | 5.7 |
| Jarrow and Gateshead East | 403 | 70,272 | 5.7 |
| Fylde | 428 | 77,100 | 5.6 |
| Plymouth Moor View | 420 | 74,724 | 5.6 |
| Blackpool North and Fleetwood | 403 | 73,339 | 5.5 |
| Cramlington and Killingworth | 420 | 76,228 | 5.5 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West | 418 | 76,822 | 5.4 |
| Blackpool South | 408 | 77,460 | 5.3 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| North West | 16,835 |
| South East | 15,829 |
| South West | 12,734 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 11,495 |
| West Midlands | 10,950 |
| East Midlands | 9,749 |
| East of England | 9,543 |
| North East | 8,538 |
| London | 3,983 |
| Scotland | 412 |
| Wales | 313 |
| Northern Ireland | 50 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 5 January 2026. Read the debate in Hansard.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702845.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
2d9c2f6c631bee14… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.