Information for disabled users
What is an eligible disability?
How do I apply for a freedom pass as a disabled
person?
Other useful services for disabled Londoners
What is an eligible disability?
If you are living in London and you have an eligible disability, you can apply for a disabled freedom pass. The seven main categories of disability in the Transport Act 2000 which make you eligible for a freedom pass these are listed below.
If you have any of the following disabilities you can apply for a freedom pass. Local borough councils issue freedom passes to people with disabilities who meet one of the seven categories in the Transport Act 2000. These are:
a) People who are blind or partially sighted
b) People who are profoundly or severely deaf
c) People without speech
d) People who have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has left them with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to walk
e) People who do not have arms or have a long-term loss of the use of both arms
f) People who have a learning disability, that is defined as, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning
g) People who, if they applied for the grant for a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, would have their application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
For further details see the Department for Transport website.
Local councils may at their discretion issue freedom passes to disabled people that do not meet one of the above criteria.
How do I apply for a disabled person's freedom pass?
If you believe you are in one of the above categories and are entitled to a freedom pass, you need to contact your council who will tell you how to apply.
To help you contact your council a list of links to websites and a phone number for each can be found below:
- Barking & Dagenham or call 020 8227 2334
- Barnet or call 020 8359 4131
- Bexley or call 013223 44823
- Brent or call 020 8937 4001 /4002
- Bromley or call 020 8461 7384
- Camden or call 020 7974 5919
- City of London or call 020 7332 1224
- Croydon or call 020 8686 4433 ext 6211
- Ealing or call 020 8825 8000
- Enfield or call 020 8379 1000
- Greenwich or call 020 8921 2388
- Hackney or call 020 8356 6825
- Hammersmith & Fulham or call 020 8753 5134
- Haringey or call 020 8489 1865
- Harrow or call 020 8424 1732
- Havering or call 01708 434 997/434 343
- Hillingdon or call 01895 250202
- Hounslow or call 020 8583 5208
- Islington or call 020 7527 2000
- Kensington & Chelsea or call 020 7361 2390
- Kingston Upon Thames or call 020 8547 6085
- Lambeth or call 020 7926 5555
- Lewisham or call 0208 314 6560/8971
- Merton or call 020 8545 4490
- Newham or call 020 8430 2000 ext 45318
- Redbridge or call 020 8708 7258/4501
- Richmond or call 020 8831 6191
- Southwark or call 020 7525 2141/2306
- Sutton or call 0208 770 4537
- Tower Hamlets or call 020 7364 5803
- Waltham Forest or call 020 8496 6307
- Wandsworth or call 020 8871 8871
- Westminster or call 020 7641 2266
Other useful services for disabled Londoners
Blue Badge Scheme
The Blue Badge (formerly orange badge) scheme offers special parking provision for some people with disabilities. If you are blind or have a mobility disability then you may be entitled to a blue badge - contact your local council for details.
For details of parking concessions in Europe for holders of blue badges contact the
Interactive Blue Badge map
The new interactive Blue Badge map is now available on-line at www.parkingforbluebadges.com. It has a number of useful features, including:
- type in the postcode of your destination and find nearest blue badge parking bays
- nearest blue blue badge parking bays to main London train stations and airports
- on-line forum to discuss blue badge parking issues
- find nearest petrol stations and public toilets
- puchase a hard copy of the map
Click here for more information
London Taxicard scheme
The London Taxicard Scheme provides subsidised door-to-door transport for people who have serious mobility impairment and difficulty in using public transport. Taxicard holders make subsidised journeys in licensed London taxis and private hire vehicles.
Your Taxicard can be used anytime, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, subject to taxi availability.
Click here for more information
Access and mobility
Information about access in London including major attractions and transport on the Your London website.
The freedom pass is the 'travel permit' for the purposes of the GLA 1999 Act and the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007.
The scheme is managed by London Councils on behalf of all the London boroughs.
