No more off-peak lives: concessionary travel reform for disabled passengers
Bus Users UK welcomes today’s announcement that, from April 2027, disabled bus pass holders across England will be able to travel for free at any time of day, describing it as a major step towards a fairer, more inclusive and genuinely accessible transport system.
Disabled people don’t live off-peak lives, so access to bus travel is not a ‘nice-to-have’: it is an essential tool for independence and participation in everyday life. Yet under the current system, access to free travel before 9.30am has depended on where you live. In 2026, the Government reported that 76% of local concessionary travel authorities already offered some form of extension to the standard hours, highlighting the widespread recognition that the restriction does not work for everyone.
Greater Manchester has shown what is possible. Since March, older and disabled pass holders have been able to travel free at any time of day on Bee Network buses, following successful trials that gave 400,000 people the opportunity to travel before 9.30am.
Lydia Horbury, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK said: “Bus Users UK has been at the forefront of campaigning for reform because equal access to opportunity requires equal access to travel. We also recognised that the case for change would be stronger if organisations campaigning for accessible transport spoke together, which is why we established the Accessible Transport Alliance to coordinate our efforts and give disabled passengers a stronger collective voice.
“The benefits of removing the restriction go well beyond the bus pass itself. It can help more disabled people access employment and education, reduce isolation, support health and wellbeing, encourage greater use of public transport and help employers access a wider pool of talent.
“The job now is to make sure the reform delivers what passengers need: clear information, consistent implementation and a concessionary scheme designed around people’s actual lives. Accessible transport isn't about giving people special treatment; it's about removing the barriers that prevent people from living, working and participating on equal terms.”
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