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Concessionary travel policies and scheme

Statement of Policy

Concessionary Travel is statutory duty for Warwickshire County Council. The Council has been responsible for the management and administration of free off-peak local bus travel to the eligible residents of Warwickshire since April 2011.

Background

In preparation for this duty the Council consulted a large number of concessionary bus pass holders to understand what their priorities for local bus travel were. The consultation took place during the late summer and early Autumn 2010.

Access to local buses from 9am was clearly valued by the majority of the users. Many commented that if the 9am access was withdrawn it would seriously disadvantage them and their ability to live independently.

One consideration made by Cabinet was whether it was affordable and appropriate to offer any discretions above the statutory minimum, given the current financial pressures facing the County Council, and the cuts it will have to make.

The Council in its deliberations, considered the implications of withdrawing all or any of the locally funded discretionary elements and concluded that with the limited funds available to it, the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people would be achieved by retaining the earlier start time of 9am on week days. It also agreed to honour existing companion passes until their expiry dates.

The concessionary travel scheme: 1 April 2011 – 31 March 2013

The scheme was approved by Cabinet on 18 November 2010 and is as follows;

  • operates at the Statutory minimum, providing free off-peak bus travel for all pass holders (from 9.30am until 11pm on weekdays and all day on weekends and bank holidays) and
  • has an added discretion of a 9am weekday start time for Warwickshire residents, for journeys starting within Warwickshire.
  • has an added discretion of travel until midnight on weekdays

The added discretions will remain until 31 March 2013.

The future

The Cabinet report committed officers to review the use, costs, scope and future affordability of the 9am discretion during summer 2012.

Cabinet will consider a report in the autumn of 2013, when it will set the size and scope of the concessionary travel scheme from April 2013 onwards.

Terms and Conditions of use

Terms and condition of use - 1 April 2011 - 31 March 2012 (pdf, 16Kb)

Reimbursement of bus operators

The arrangements for reimbursement or bus operators during 2012-2013 were published on 1 December 2011. Arrangements for Reimbursement 2012-13 (pdf, 63Kb)

England National Concessionary Travel Scheme

The England National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) is operated by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of the government.