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Kent County Council co-ordinates the free bus pass scheme
for Kent, however it is the local or District / Borough Councils
who issue the passes.
The scheme is available throughout the County (including Medway)
and offers free local bus travel to eligible pass holders, in other
words those people aged over 60 or registered as disabled and who
apply for a pass.
On Tuesday 1 April 2008, the scheme changed. Pass holders are
now be able to use local bus services anywhere in England - for
example, if going on holiday to another county (e.g. Cornwall), or
when visiting London. There will therefore no longer be a Kent
"countywide" scheme as you will be able to board a bus in any
council area in England, irrespective of which council issued your
pass. This "national scheme" does however have a different time
limit - passes cannot be used on journeys starting before 0900 or
after 2300 Monday to Friday, but travel can still be made at any
time at weekends and on bank holidays. Councils are only funded to
provide the minimum standard and therefore, when visiting another
council's area, you should only expect to be able to travel at
those times. Some councils and operators do however offer
additional options at their own cost, and you should check before
travelling if you are unsure of the rules in that area.
Who pays for the scheme?
As a result of free travel, there are now more than 200,000 pass
holders in Kent. The District / Borough Councils reimburse the bus
companies for carrying concessionary passengers, with most of the
funding coming direct from Central Government.
Unlike the Districts / Borough Councils, Kent County Council has
no legal duty to fund the scheme. We do however provide a small
amount of money to help coordinate the scheme arrangements across
the County.
Applications and eligibility
For information about who is eligible for a free bus pass, and how
to apply, contact your
District / Borough council.
Please remember that you must show your pass every time you
travel in order that the bus companies can keep a proper record of
the number of journeys being made. |