Issue - meetings

An assessment of take up and costs associated with all day travel for holders of disabled person's concessionary bus passes and future options.

Cabinet Portfolio Holder – Councillor Jan Matecki

Councillor Jan Matecki (Portfolio Holder for Transport & Planning) explained the background to the report, noting that a trial of all-day concessionary travel for holders of disabled person’s bus passes below state retirement age had commenced in April 2023 with the aim of supporting access to education, training and employment. Costings of continuing the provision were included in the report and it was proposed to extend the trial until 31 March 2027, based on an estimated annual cost of approximately £40k per annum which could be funded within the existing concessionary travel budget. 

Councillor Seccombe welcomed the supporting data that had been provided, noting that some people would not have been able to travel to work or to medical appointments without this provision and she welcomed the positive impact that the trial had made.  Councillor Jan Matecki drew Members’ attention to the responses from users at pages 322-328 of the document pack which demonstrated the impact of the trial.

That Cabinet:

1.     Approves the extension of the all-day travel trial until 31 March 2027; and

2.     Approves the retention of the current eligibility criteria, which provides access to the trial for people under the state retirement age who have a bus pass because of a qualifying disability.