Disabled bus pass holders in England to get free travel at any time from 2027
Disabled people with eligible concessionary bus passes in England will be able to travel for free at any time of day from 1 April 2027, under a government change designed to remove a longstanding restriction on when the passes can be used.
The reform means pass holders will no longer have to plan journeys around the current weekday limits, which generally allow free travel between 9.30am and 11pm. Weekends and bank holidays are already unrestricted under the national scheme, while some councils have separately funded wider access.
The government is putting £60 million behind the national change. Ministers say removing the time barrier could make it easier for disabled people to reach jobs, education, training and healthcare, particularly where early-morning or late-evening travel is necessary.
For people who rely on buses, the difference could be practical as well as financial. A journey to an early shift, a college course or an appointment outside conventional hours will no longer require passengers to pay a fare simply because of the time they need to travel.
The policy follows a move already made in Greater Manchester, where free all-day travel for older and disabled concessionary pass holders was introduced across the Bee Network in March 2026. The local change followed trials examining the effect of removing the 9.30am restriction.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who introduced the wider policy after previously overseeing the Greater Manchester change, said buses should not become inaccessible because a journey falls outside the permitted hours. The government has linked the measure to its broader programme on employment support and bus affordability.
The national change will apply to eligible disabled bus pass holders across England from April 2027, removing a postcode-based difference in access to free travel.
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