What the Minister Said

Minister Responds All-Day Bus Access: Following our letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, we’ve received a response from Simon Lightwood MP, the Minister for Roads and Buses. While the reply acknowledges our concerns, it makes clear that the government sees this as a local rather than national issue.

Minister Responds All-Day Bus Access. A bus in front of the angel of the north.

From the Office of Simon Lightwood MP
Minister for Roads and Buses

Thank you for your letter of 8 September, addressed to the Secretary of State, regarding concessionary bus travel.

As you will be aware, the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age between 9:30am and 11:00pm on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays. The duration of the concessionary period was set out in the Transport Act 2000. As I hope you will appreciate, the ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

However, local authorities in England do have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, by extending the times travel passes can be used. This is the case in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority area, where concessionary passholders can travel for free on local bus services at all hours. Similar schemes also exist in other parts of the country; according to concessionary travel statistics for the year ending March 2025, approximately 78% of local authorities extended the beginning of the statutory time period (9:30am) during weekdays. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.

At the Budget, 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, and the North East Combined Authority has been allocated £23.7 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including expanding local bus service provision in the area, or extending the travel times for concessionary bus passes locally.

The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional funding per year from 26/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill is about providing local authorities with the right tools to empower them to make the right decisions for their local areas, this includes to help deliver better bus services and improve safety and accessibility. We believe in passing the power and the funding down to local areas to make these decisions.

Thank you for taking the time to write to raise your concerns. I hope this response helps to explain the current concessionary travel arrangements in England.

Yours sincerely,
Simon Lightwood MP
Minister for Roads and Buses

Minister Responds All-Day Bus Access: What This Means for Our Campaign

The Good News

The minister acknowledges that local authorities already have the power to extend concessionary travel times. In fact, approximately 78% of local authorities already do this to some extent.

The Challenge

The government is explicitly passing responsibility to local authorities, stating they should use their allocated funding (£23.7 million for the North East) to make these improvements.

Our Opportunity

This response actually strengthens our local campaign. We now have clear confirmation that:

  • Local authorities have the legal power to implement all-day access
  • Funding is available that could be used for this purpose
  • Other regions (like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) have already succeeded

Difference Policy officer’s position

“The Minister’s reply makes it clear that local leaders have the power to lift the 9:30 restriction on disabled people’s concessionary bus passes. In the North East, pass holders currently face different rules depending on where they live. We are asking for fairness and consistency. Northumberland is a brilliant example of how it can work – there, disabled pass holders already have all-day free travel. Now it’s time to deliver that same simple, fair standard for everyone in our region.” – Charlotte, Difference North East, Policy officer

Our Next Steps

This ministerial response changes our strategy in important ways. We will now:

  • Direct our efforts locally: With confirmation that this is a local decision, we’ll intensify our campaign with the North East Mayoral Combined Authority
  • Highlight the funding opportunity: The North East has been allocated £23.7 million for bus improvements – we’ll make the case that extending concessionary hours should be a priority
  • Use successful examples: We’ll showcase how Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have implemented all-day access without negative consequences
  • Build broader coalitions: We’ll work with other disability organizations, passenger groups, and local businesses who benefit from accessible transport

Critical point: The minister’s response confirms that 78% of local authorities already offer some extension to the 9:30am start time. This makes our case stronger – we’re not asking for something unprecedented, but for the North East to join the majority of authorities who recognize the importance of flexible travel times.

How You Can Help Now

This ministerial response gives us new ammunition for our local campaign. Here’s how you can support the push for all-day access:

Specifically, we need:

  • Stories from people who’ve been unable to travel before 9:30am for work, education, or appointments
  • Messages to local councillors and the Combined Authority highlighting the minister’s confirmation that this is a local decision

The minister has passed the ball to local authorities. Now we need to make sure our local leaders catch it and run with it.