Disabled bus pass holders to get free travel before 9.30am

Disabled bus pass holders travelling to work, college or university will soon be able to travel for free before 9.30am on weekdays.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is currently part of the government-funded English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) which allows free travel after 9.30am on weekdays for residents eligible for a disabled or elderly bus pass.

Now the city council has entered an agreement with all local bus operators - Arriva, D&G, First, Scraggs and Stantons of Stoke - to allow passengers with a Stoke-on-Trent-issued disabled bus pass to travel for free on their networks before 9.30am, Monday to Friday, from Monday 1 September.

The agreement – being piloted until 31 March, 2026 – aims to make it easier for disabled passengers to get to work or education. Both disabled and elderly passengers will still be able to travel for free all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We are committed to making it as easy and affordable as possible for residents to travel around the city. We have already made a number of significant improvements to our local bus network and I am delighted that we are able to partner with bus operators once again on this initiative.

“This scheme will now allow us to offer free early morning travel to those entitled to a disabled travel pass, helping them to access employment and education without extra personal costs. This scheme will run for a trial period until March next year. We will be monitoring uptake to understand demand and how it can be extended.

“At the moment, concessionary bus passenger numbers are still way below what they were before the Covid pandemic, so we hope that this scheme will encourage more people who are entitled to free travel to consider using the bus as a way to travel around the city.”

To apply for a free bus pass, or check if you are eligible, visit Free bus pass | Free bus pass | Stoke-on-Trent.