Disabled bus pass holders in Stone can already travel free at any time of day when their journey starts in Staffordshire, ahead of a national change that will extend the same freedom across England.
The Government has announced that time restrictions on disabled person’s concessionary bus passes will be removed nationally from 1 April 2027.
At present, the national entitlement is generally restricted to between 9.30am and 11pm on weekdays, although councils can choose to provide more generous local concessions.
Staffordshire County Council already does that, meaning eligible pass holders in Stone can use their pass at any time of day when boarding a bus within Staffordshire.
The important difference comes when travelling elsewhere.
For journeys which start outside Staffordshire, the existing national restrictions currently apply. From April 2027, disabled bus pass holders from Stone will be able to make eligible journeys anywhere in England without those time restrictions.
What is changing
The Government says the national change will allow disabled people to use their concessionary bus pass at any time of day across England.
The change applies to disabled person’s bus passes, rather than older person’s concessionary passes.
Andrew Mynors, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Connectivity, welcomed the announcement and highlighted the arrangement already available locally.
He said
“While this announcement is welcome in that it provides free travel across England at any time of day; in Staffordshire this is something we already offer for our disabled residents as a forward-thinking authority.
“Disability shouldn’t be a barrier to connectivity at any time, and in Staffordshire it is a priority to us to ensure we’re supporting people in living independent lives where they can access services and leisure facilities when they need to.
“This year, we’re also running our Celebrating the Difference campaign which focuses on how we can make public transport more accessible for people with any type of disability by promoting and using existing tools. This can help all our communities to feel confident, comfortable, and safe when using public transport.”
People in Stone who think they may qualify for a disabled person’s bus pass can find eligibility and application information on Staffordshire County Council’s website.
