Bus Pass query

[Ploughman]

I was issued with a Bus Pass from York Council earlier this year.
Besides York local Buses, what other operators can I use?
Is there a list anywhere?

 

[Steve440]

Is that the OAP pass? If so it is valid on all normal stage carriage services in England.

 

[Porty]

I was issued with a Bus Pass from York Council earlier this year.
Besides York local Buses, what other operators can I use?
Is there a list anywhere?

Essentially any bus in England after 0930 Mon to Fri, anytime at weekends. Not night buses nor special services such as open top tours in most places. Not long distance coaches.

 

[Roger1973]

Night buses aren't specifically excluded, but the national scheme only allows travel (as in journey starting) after 9.30 am and before 11pm on Monday - Friday. So night buses might be OK on Saturday nights. I'm not sure how Friday or Sunday nights work...

I appreciate there's got to be a cut-off somewhere before the morning peak starts, for the few places that have all-night services (think Transport for London regard each operating day as starting / ending at 4.30 am) but why the government at the time thought that concessionary pass-holders ought to be at least on their way home before pub closing time, I've never quite understood...

Some councils extend their scheme beyond the statutory hours, either all day, or start from 0900 or whatever. (There are also a few local exceptions in some places where there's a very infrequent bus service where individual journeys start before 0930.) - this will apply where the journey happens (and may only be for local pass-holders) so if X council allows travel during the morning peak, it only applies locally - an X Council pass-holder can't travel during the morning peak somewhere else.

There are a few exceptions - as has been mentioned, open top tours are generally excluded, some services for special events, or football match shuttles are also excluded.

And yes, it's England - the four countries of the UK have their own schemes, and (there may be exceptions on services that meander around the borders) you can't use a pass from one country in another.

In some places, concessionary passes can be used for free or discounted travel on things like metro / trams / underground / local rail services, but this is also discretionary, not part of the national scheme - and may only apply to people who hold a local pass - last time I had cause to think about it, the Nottingham trams (for example) could be used by Nottingham / Nottinghamshire pass-holders but not pass-holders from anywhere else (it may have changed since then.)

One other thing - if you travel in London, then you show the pass to the bus driver rather than try and beep it on the ticket machine - the ticket system in London was quite advanced a long time ago, but is now so old it doesn't meet national standards.

Happy travelling.

 

[Mugby]

As an aside to the OP's question, is it reasonable to assume that every stage service operator in England (excepting London) has ticketing equipment which is capable of reading the OAP passes?

 

[Cesarcollie]

As an aside to the OP's question, is it reasonable to assume that every stage service operator in England (excepting London) has ticketing equipment which is capable of reading the OAP passes?

In isolation no. Some very small operators have agreed fixed reimbursement pots with their LTA to avoid expensive ETMs. However BODS requirements have removed some of this flexibility. There may still be some CT operators etc without machines however.

 

[Ploughman]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[ChrisC]

Essentially any bus in England after 0930 Mon to Fri, anytime at weekends. Not night buses nor special services such as open top tours in most places. Not long distance coaches.

York and North Yorkshire is one of a handful of local authorities where an ENCTS pass can be used from 0900 Mon-Fri. Essex is another.

 

[supervalkoinen]

The rules produce some real anomalies.

(West Cheshire) CWAC-issued pass allows free travel if boarding within CWAC area Mon-Fri from 0930 until last bus and all day Saturday and Sunday.

If boarding outside CWAC area, free travel is allowed Mon-Fri from 0930 until 2300 and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Friday evenings:

Stagecoach Route 1:

Liverpool – Birkenhead – Bromborough – Eastham (all Merseyside) – Childer Thornton – Chester (both Cheshire West)

Departure times:

Liverpool 2250 – Birkenhead 2310 – Eastham 2337 – Childer Thornton 2341

Liverpool 2355 – Birkenhead 0015 – Bromborough terminates 0035

Thus, the 2250 ex-Liverpool can be boarded free in Liverpool as it’s before 2300, but not between Birkenhead and Eastham, but can then be boarded free from Childer Thornton as you’re in CWAC area.

Conversely, the 2355 ex-Liverpool cannot be boarded free in Liverpool, but as we now enter into Saturday, it can be boarded free between Birkenhead (0015) and Bromborough, even though the service doesn’t actually reach CWAC area.

 

[YX73OUB]

Night buses aren't specifically excluded, but the national scheme only allows travel (as in journey starting) after 9.30 am and before 11pm on Monday - Friday. So night buses might be OK on Saturday nights. I'm not sure how Friday or Sunday nights work...

I appreciate there's got to be a cut-off somewhere before the morning peak starts, for the few places that have all-night services (think Transport for London regard each operating day as starting / ending at 4.30 am) but why the government at the time thought that concessionary pass-holders ought to be at least on their way home before pub closing time, I've never quite understood...

Some councils extend their scheme beyond the statutory hours, either all day, or start from 0900 or whatever. (There are also a few local exceptions in some places where there's a very infrequent bus service where individual journeys start before 0930.) - this will apply where the journey happens (and may only be for local pass-holders) so if X council allows travel during the morning peak, it only applies locally - an X Council pass-holder can't travel during the morning peak somewhere else.

There are a few exceptions - as has been mentioned, open top tours are generally excluded, some services for special events, or football match shuttles are also excluded.

And yes, it's England - the four countries of the UK have their own schemes, and (there may be exceptions on services that meander around the borders) you can't use a pass from one country in another.

In some places, concessionary passes can be used for free or discounted travel on things like metro / trams / underground / local rail services, but this is also discretionary, not part of the national scheme - and may only apply to people who hold a local pass - last time I had cause to think about it, the Nottingham trams (for example) could be used by Nottingham / Nottinghamshire pass-holders but not pass-holders from anywhere else (it may have changed since then.)

One other thing - if you travel in London, then you show the pass to the bus driver rather than try and beep it on the ticket machine - the ticket system in London was quite advanced a long time ago, but is now so old it doesn't meet national standards.

Happy travelling.

Correct about the tram in Nottingham, it's still the case.

Here also concessions can travel on night buses because it's Saturday morning and Sunday morning (as opposed to Friday night).

Within the Nottm city boundary Nottingham City disabled concession holders can travel in the city boundary areas for free (but not the elderly concessions - they are still 0930-2300), however as you can imagine this does sometimes (not that often) present some issues.

 

[DDB]

Correct about the tram in Nottingham, it's still the case.

Here also concessions can travel on night buses because it's Saturday morning and Sunday morning (as opposed to Friday night).

Within the Nottm city boundary Nottingham City disabled concession holders can travel in the city boundary areas for free (but not the elderly concessions - they are still 0930-2300), however as you can imagine this does sometimes (not that often) present some issues.

Also for completeness, holders of concession cards from outside the area can purchase a reduced price day ticket for the Nottingham trams.

 

[YX73OUB]

Also for completeness, holders of concession cards from outside the area can purchase a reduced price day ticket for the Nottingham trams.

You learn something new every day!

 

[RT4038]

As an aside to the OP's question, is it reasonable to assume that every stage service operator in England (excepting London) has ticketing equipment which is capable of reading the OAP passes?

However, whether an operator has equipment capable of 'reading' the passes has nothing to do with their obligation to accept them.

 

[childwallblues]

OAPs who live in Merseyside can use their passes on the trains within the County of Merseyside and also on Merseyrail as far as Ormskirk, Chester and Ellesmere Port and on Northern Rail to Hough Green.

 

[Thames99]

Regarding travelling Friday night into Saturday morning my national pass was refused on a bus just after midnight. I tried to say that as we were into Saturday so it should be accepted, but the driver said that as far as the bus company was concerned the early hours are considered an extension of the previous day so I had to pay. Presumably there must be a time (4am maybe) when you move into the following day. Whether there is a nationally agreed time or individual operators fix their own I don't know.

 

[WM Bus]

Regarding travelling Friday night into Saturday morning my national pass was refused on a bus just after midnight. I tried to say that as we were into Saturday so it should be accepted, but the driver said that as far as the bus company was concerned the early hours are considered an extension of the previous day so I had to pay. Presumably there must be a time (4am maybe) when you move into the following day. Whether there is a nationally agreed time or individual operators fix their own I don't know.

Concession passes definitely work in the West Midlands area from 09:30 on Friday morning through to 23:59 on the Sunday night.
So you could use it on the 01:01 63 on Saturdays and Sundays for example.

 

[riceuten]

Hertfordshire OAP passes are valid all day, which means you frequently see pensioners on buses at 7am-8am complaining that young people won't stand up for them at this time, and that mums rather selfishly take buggies on board meaning they can't squeeze their tartan trollies on

 

[daveo]

In isolation no. Some very small operators have agreed fixed reimbursement pots with their LTA to avoid expensive ETMs. However BODS requirements have removed some of this flexibility. There may still be some CT operators etc without machines however.

That's a fine scattering of initials. Would you care to explain some of them please? Thank you.

 

[Cesarcollie]

That's a fine scattering of initials. Would you care to explain some of them please? Thank you.

Apologies….
LTA = Local Transport Authority (typically shire county, unitary or PTE)
ETM = Electronic Ticket Machine
BODS = Bus Open Data Service (government inspired bureaucracy in which GPS location data, fares data and various other bits of info have to be supplied by operators to a government portal)
CT = community transport

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

Hertfordshire OAP passes are valid all day, which means you frequently see pensioners on buses at 7am-8am complaining that young people won't stand up for them at this time, and that mums rather selfishly take buggies on board meaning they can't squeeze their tartan trollies on

Scottish passes are valid on all servicers regardless of time unsure about night buses but u22 passes definitely work on airport buses and there's no issues with people moaning .