A companion pass is an enhancement to a concessionary bus pass which allows a passholder to take a carer or companion with them free of charge. It is indicated by a +1 or C+ symbol at the top right of the bus pass.
Companion passes are also known as +1 passes or carer passes.
Can I get a companion pass?
At the moment, these are not available in Warwickshire, but work is underway to introduce these.
It will be available to holders of both disabled person’s passes and older person’s passes so long as they meet the following criteria.
You will be eligible if you are over the age of 11, you qualify for an ENCTS bus pass under the current scheme AND one of the following applies to you;
- You are registered blind (severely sight impaired) or entitled to be registered as such, or
- you need to be accompanied or supervised at all times due to your disability e.g. challenging behaviours, an unstable or unpredictable medical condition, or severe cognitive or mental impairment, or
- you are physically unable to get on or off the bus without the assistance of another person.
When will the passes be available?
It is planned to start accepting applications during December 2023, with passes being accepted on the buses from January 2024.
How do they work?
Companion passes are smartcards which work in a similar way to the normal concessionary bus pass. The passholder scans their pass on the bus as normal. The bus driver will then log on the ticket machine whether the passholder is travelling with a companion who needs free travel. The carer or companion does not receive a separate pass.
Why the delay?
There is a lot of work needed to ensure that the passes work. This includes
- giving notice to commercial bus operators
- making changes to databases
- developing an application process
- technical changes to do with ticket machines and smartcards
- manufacturing and testing the passes
This all needs to be done in addition to the normal work of the team. We want existing applicants and passholders to receive their normal service and this means that it will take a bit longer to get a companion pass set up.
How can I find out more?
You can sign up to be notified about the scheme by completing an online form.