Your questions answered
Applying for a freedom pass
Using your freedom pass
Freedom Pass: English National Scheme - Q & A
Applying for a freedom pass
Q. My pass has an expiry date of 31 March 2008, can I still renew it?
A. Freedom Passes with an expiry date of 31 March 2008 are no longer valid for travel, and should be renewed as soon as possible. You can reuse your photocard and you do not need to provide a new photograph unless the photograph is no longer an accurate likeness.
Q. Can someone go on my behalf to apply for the freedom pass?
A. No, you must apply in person. See How to apply for a freedom pass.
Q. If I work or study in London but do not live in a London Borough can I apply for a freedom pass?
A. No, your sole or principal residence must be in a London borough.
Q. I am aged 60 or over and still working, am I eligible for a freedom pass?
A. Applications for a freedom pass are based on your age and where you live, not on your employment status. If you are aged 60 or over and your sole or principal residence is within one of the 33 London boroughs, then you can apply for a freedom pass whether you work or not.
Q. I have a disability, can I apply for a freedom pass?
A. Disabled freedom passes are issued through your local borough council - contact them to apply. The councils follow the criteria set out by the Transport Act 2000 which outlines the 7 catagories of disability used to assess eligibility for a freedom pass.
Local councils may at their discretion issue passes to disabled people that do not meet these criteria. For further details see the Department for Transport website.
Q. Are carers entitled to a freedom pass when they travel with a freedom pass holder?
A. No. There is no facility in legislation regarding concessionary travel to allow carers to apply for a freedom pass. Applicants must be eligible through age or disability.
A freedom pass holder who finds it too difficult to travel using public transport alone in certain circumstances could apply for the Taxicard scheme which is also managed by London Councils.
This service provides subsidised door to door taxi trips in licensed taxis and Private Hire Vehicles for people with serious mobility problems.
Application forms are available by telephoning 020 7484 2929 or email taxicard@londoncouncils.gov.uk
Using your freedom pass
Q. How do I use my new freedom pass?
A. See page How to use your freedom pass correctly.
Q. At what times can I use my freedom pass?
A. See page When and where to use your freedom pass.
Q. Where can I travel with my freedom pass?
A. You can travel anywhere in London within the 6 zones and a few Tube and rail routes outside this area. See When and where to use your freedom pass for details.
You can travel on most local buses in London and in the rest of England.
Q. If I am planning a trip out of London can I use my pass?
A. You can travel on some National Rail routes beyond the London borough boundaries. You can use the whole of the tube network. You can use your pass on local buses anywhere in England between 9:30am and 11:00pm Monday to Friday, all day at weekends and on public holidays. You will need to show your freedom pass amd photocard to the bus driver.
See When
and where to use your pass to find out more information about specific
journeys.
Q. What can I do to make sure my freedom pass is kept in good condition?
A. Have a look at the useful tips on How to use your freedom pass.
Q. If my pass has been lost or stolen, faulty or damaged where do I get a replacement?
A. If you are an older person's freedom pass holder and you live in Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Sutton, or Wandsworth you should contact your council directly.
Barking and Dagenham on 020 8227 2325 or 020 8215 3000
Havering 01708 433 997/ 434 343
Sutton on 020 8770 4537
Wandsworth on 020 8871 8871
If you live in one of these boroughs (see list below) you will need to replace your freedom pass at the Post Office.
Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Westminster or the City of London.
If you have lost your pass or it has been stolen you will need apply as if for the first time. Please see How to apply for a freedom pass for details.
If you are a disabled person's freedom pass holder please contact your local borough council and they will advise on what to do.
If your pass has been damaged please also click here for tips on how to prevent damage to your card.
FREEDOM PASS: ENGLISH NATIONAL SCHEME - Q & A
Q. What is the English Bus Scheme and when did it start?
A. The scheme started on 1 April 2008 and all older and most disabled freedom pass holders are entitled to free travel on local bus services in England outside London between 9.30am and 11.00pm Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays. To ensure you are able to benefit from the new concession, you must have renewed your pass so that it has a new sticker with the expiry date 31 March 2010, a rose logo and a bus security hologram. Please note that as a freedom pass holder, you do not have to apply for a national pass.
Q. What is the definition of a 'local' bus?
A. The definition of a 'local bus' will be self-evident in most cases, but in a few instances could include some longer distance buses and coach services where part of their route is registered as a local bus service. If in doubt, freedom pass holders can check with the service operator or local Transport authority in that area.
Q. Why is the London freedom pass not being replaced in 2008 with the new national style card in 2008?
A. The freedom pass is based on the Oystercard technology and the current passes still have a potential further two years' life. The Government has therefore agreed that the London passes will not be replaced with the new style pass until 2010.
Q. Can I apply to get a new national style card like the one my friends/relatives who live outside London have got?
A. No. The freedom pass will not be replaced by the national style card until 2010. Instead, all older and eligible disabled passes should have had a new sticker placed on them with a rose logo and bus hologram. This indicates the passholder is entitled to the concession on local buses outside of London.
Q. I have a second home in London and my main home is outside Greater London. Can I apply for a Freedom Pass?
A. No. You are only eligible for a freedom pass if your sole or principal residence is in Greater London and you are aged 60 or over or are an eligible disabled person. If you have a second home in London, you must apply to the authority where your principal residence is located. If London Councils becomes aware that you are not entitled to a freedom pass because you do not comply with the residency requirement, it will take steps to deactivate the pass so that you cannot use it.
Q. Can all freedom pass holders use their pass anywhere in England?
A. A few disabled passes are issued under the discretion of your local borough council and the Government has given local councils no powers to extend the eligibility of these passes to include the national bus concession. Passholders who have renewed their passes and have been issued with a sticker which has the 31 March 2010 expiry date and the words "London only" cannot use the pass outside London.
Q. I have a discretionary disabled pass which has a "London only sticker". Does this mean I am losing any entitlement to travel?
A. No. You have the same entitlement as other freedom pass holders on Transport for London buses, Tube, trams, DLR and National Rail within Greater London. There has been no reduction in your entitlement to concessions.
Q. Why can't I travel 24 hours a day with my disabled pass outside London as I can in London?
A. The English national bus scheme only obliges local transport authorities to offer off-peak travel on local buses between 9.30am to 11:00pm. Any travel outside these times is considered as a local benefit and is funded at the discretion of the local authority. Generally, most local authorities will only offer local benefits to their own residents.
Q. I am aged over 60 and have been issued a discreationary disabled freedom pass, which means I can't use it on buses outside London. My neighbour is over 60 and has an older person's pass and can travel elsewhere in England. Why can't I travel outside London as I read that the scheme applies to anyone aged 60 or over?
A. A minority of disabled passes are issued under the discretion of your local borough and the Government has given local councils no powers to extend the eligibility of these passses to include the national bus concession. You have to decide whether ther benefits of the discretionary disabled or older freedom pass are more valuable to you. If it is more important to you to be able to travel in London before 9.00am on weekdays then you may prefer to have the disabled pass, but you will not be able to use it on buses outside London. However, if being able to travel on buses outside London is more important to you than travelling before 9.00am in London you can apply for the older person's pass instead. You are entitled to hold only one concesssionary pass and cannot apply for both.
Q. I have a disabled person's freedom pass and am a wheelchair user. In London all buses are fully accessible. Is this the case outside London?
A. No. You are advised to contact the local transport authority of the area in which you wish to travel in advance to find out about the accessibility of buses in that area.
Q. Will I be able to use my freedom pass on local buses in London which are not part of the Transport for London bus network?
A. In most cases, yes. A list of eligible routes is being prepared and will be on this website when available. This will also indicate the times when the freedom pass will be valid, and will be available on the www.freedompass.org website. You can also check with the relevant bus company.
Q. Will I be able to use my freedom pass on National Express coaches?
A. In most cases no. However, there are a few places where National Express provides a local bus service and in these cases the freedom pass will be accepted within the eligible times. You should check with National Express before you travel - www.nationalexpress.com or 08705 808080
Q. I am visiting another place in England. Can I use my pass on trams or local trains?
A. No. There is no requirement for tram or train operators to accept concessionary travel passes from outside their own area even if they accept passes issued to residents in the local area.
Q. What happens if I want to travel on a bus outside London outside the times that my freedom pass is accepted 9.30am to 11.00pm?
A. Generally, you cannot use your pass to travel outside of these times and will have to buy a valid ticket for the journey. It is advisable to check with the relevant bus company before you travel or you can contact Traveline: www.traveline.org.uk or 0871 200 2233.
Q. How do I use my freedom pass on the bus outside London - do I place it on the card reader?
A. No. All card readers on buses outside London use a different technology and cannot read your pass. You need to show your freedom pass and photocard to the bus driver.
Q. I am visiting Scotland/Wales/Ireland. Can I use my freedom pass there?
A. No. There are no reciprocal arrangements between England and other countries for the acceptance of each others' concessionary passes.
Q. What happens when a bus service starting in England reaches the border with Scotland or Wales?
A. The national bus concession guarantees free off-peak local bus travel for eligible residents within England, but not within Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. However, local transport authorities do have the discretion to make special arrangements (which are funded locally) where they feel they are appropriate. This could, for example, include free travel on cross-border journeys. It is advisable to check with the relevant bus company.
Q. If I am allowed to travel beyond the border with England or Wales, would I be able to use my pass for a return journey starting in England or Wales?
A. It will be for the Local Transport Authority making the arrangements with neighbouring authorities in England and Wales to determine eligibility for free return journeys.
Q. I have a relative/friend visiting London from elsewhere in England and they have a new national style pass. Can they use this in London?
A. People holding a national pass issued by another English authority can use that pass on local bus services in Greater London between the hours of 9.30am and 11.00pm Monday to Friday, anytime at weekends and on public holidays.Transport for London's Bus Operators may accept your pass at other times as well. Please check with the operators you wish to travel with.
Passes from outside London are not valid on the tube, trams, DLR and National Rail at any time.
Q. I have a friend/relative visiting London from elsewhere in England and they have a new style pass. Can they use the pass electronically on London bus readers?
A. No. In London, the freedom pass is an Oyster smartcard and the buses have smart readers, but they are based on a different technology to the one being introduced elsewhere in England.
The Government is working towards a national standard which will ensure that, in future, the same smartcard will work throughout England as well as on different modes of transport, such as trains and trams. Work is planned to make the readers on London buses able to read the national passes, but htis will take time. In the meantime, people from outside London should simply show their passes to the bus driver when boarding the bus.
Q. I have a relative/friend visiting from Scotland/Wales/Ireland. Can they use their concessionary travel pass in London?
A. No. There are no reciprocal arrangements between Emgland and other countries for the acceptance of each others' concessionary passes.
Q. If I experience poor service when using my pass outside London who do I complain to?
A. You should complain to the relevant bus company in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you can complain to the relevant local transport authority.
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.
