The request for travel enhancements to be granted to residents receiving disability bus passes in Warwickshire was approved by the County Council’s Cabinet today.
The decision follows Cabinet’s request in April for a feasibility study to look at the implications of awarding concessionary travel to companions of travellers with disabilities who receive a free pass through the county’s delivery of the England National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS).
This came after an engagement exercise, as part of the Concessionary Travel Review in 2022, saw 74% of respondents, when asked which discretionary enhancements they would want to see to Warwickshire’s delivery of the England National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) respond in favour of:
“A carer or companion travelling with a disabled passholder who cannot travel alone should be entitled to free or reduced cost travel.”
It is expected that the scheme will be further developed over the coming months and run for a fixed-term trial period from January 2024 ending on 31 March 2025.
Speaking about the new scheme, Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, said: “Concessionary bus passes are vital for many older and disabled residents in Warwickshire, but for many of these people, they are still not able to travel alone. The request came through that companions, who are absolutely necessary for some people in receipt of a free bus pass, should also be allowed to accompany the passholder without charge.
“We have listened to residents wishes and we have a window of opportunity to introduce this at minimal extra cost to the authority in the short term. This will enable costs and demand to be assessed with a view to considering a long-term scheme in the future”
Existing passholders, and new applicants of a pass, will be able to apply for the companion enhancement to be added to their bus pass if they are over the age of 11, qualify for an ENCTS bus pass under the current scheme AND one of the following applies;
- They are registered blind (severely sight impaired) or entitled to be registered as such.
- They need to be accompanied or supervised at all times due to their disability e.g. challenging behaviours, an unstable or unpredictable medical condition, or severe cognitive or mental impairment.
- They are physically unable to get on or off the bus without the assistance of another person.
A copy of the Cabinet report is available here: https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/s31762/Concessionary%20Travel%20-%20Introduction%20of%20a%20Companion%20Pass.pdf
More information about concessionary bus travel in Warwickshire can be found online: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/free-bus-travel-older-people-people-disabilities-1