The Postcode Lottery of Free Travel: Why the "London Boundary" remains a Mess

This is a follow up from my previous articles regarding free travel concessions, especially in regards with my research where Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists get free travel on TfL services and National Rail in Greater London. While that is a great benefit for athletes, the general "mess" of validity for disabled and elderly travellers remains a significant issue.

The Little-Known Free TfL Travel Concession for a Select Group

Athlete's Oyster Photocard

There is a secret free travel scheme which is known only by TfL staff and a selected group of people: the Elite Athlete's Oyster photocard. Holders of this card receive free travel on Transport for London (TfL) services and most railway services from zones 1-9. To be eligible, they must be a highly ranked athlete, such as a gold medalist, as defined by the British Olympic Association (BOA). The purpose of this article is to show the research about this scheme which has not been widely publicised.

Why is It Important for the London Borough Councils to Be Competent in Issuing Freedom Pass (a Free TfL Travel Concession) for the Disabled People?

Different types of Freedom Passes
Page from TfL's Staff Guide to Fares and Ticketing

I have been suggesting to myself on writing an article in the past several months about this because there has been a ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to the disabled people applying for a Freedom Pass with the London Borough Council to travel on TfL services and various National Rail services in Greater London.

I've been researching through the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) website, and I’m quite disappointed to see multiple cases where the London Borough Councils have been incompetent in issuing Freedom Passes to the disabled people.

Just to clarify that I am not an expert in this issue, and the purpose is to show my research into my article and comment about it.

Fact Check: Disabled And Older People's English Bus Pass (ENCTS) Users Are Valid On London Buses

Last updated - 24th July 2024

A page from the Big Red Book on the ENCTS passes.

In this article, I will mention the use of disabled and older person's English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passes for bus services in London.

The purpose is to raise awareness that the ENCTS passes, which are issued by the English local authorities throughout England, are valid for travel on London's red buses despite the Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) not reading them. Instead, the guidances below states that the user can show the ENCTS pass to the driver in London.

Here are the texts from the Transport for London (TfL) website:

Fact Check: Wheelchair Users ♿ Get Free Travel And Priority On London Buses

Clipping from London Transport News (No. 426 - January 27 1994)
The first of the low-floor wheelchair accessible single-deck buses for London

The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about accessibility for wheelchair users, especially for visitors and residents of London who use public transport occasionally and are not aware of this.

The fact is, wheelchair users can travel on London Buses without paying (touching in with their Oyster, Contactless bank cards, or concessionary pass), even if they don't hold a Freedom Pass or an English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) pass.

List of London Bus Routes Accepting Certain Non-TfL Tickets, National Rail’s PlusBus and English National Concessionary Companion Passes (2023)

A Freedom of Information request to Transport for London (TfL) reveals that London Buses accept certain non-TfL tickets and concessionary companion passes for bus routes that are usually outside the Greater London boundary. Unfortunately, TfL does not publicise this on their Bus and Tram fares page. There’s also no information regarding the use of English National Concessionary Companion Passes on the free and discounted travel page on the TfL website.

Free bus travel for elderly and disabled protected for the foreseeable future

Good news for elderly and disabled bus users! The Department of Transport has announced that the UK Government have protected the free bus travel scheme for the elderly and disabled in England for the foreseeable future.

From Department of Transport

Government changes legislation to protect free bus travel scheme.

Disabled and older people in England will continue to benefit from free off-peak bus travel for the foreseeable future, keeping them connected with their local towns and cities.