This page is about the National Bus Concession (Bus Pass) or Mobility Vouchers for older people or people with disabilities. Please read it carefully before making an application.

Who Qualifies for Concessionary Travel

You may be entitled to concessionary travel you are a permanent resident in the Borough of Swindon and fall into any of the following groups:

• Have reached the qualifying age (which depends on your date of birth - please see the Concessionary Travel Eligibility Date Table).
• Severely sight impaired (blind) or partially sighted
• Profoundly or severely deaf
• Without speech
• Have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to walk, where you:
  -  cannot walk; or ...
  -  is virtually unable to walk; or
  -  where the exertion required to walk would either
      constitute a danger to life or would be likely to
      lead to a serious deterioration in health.
• Has no arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms
• Has a learning disability ... that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning. These disabilities must have started before adulthood and have a lasting effect on development.
• Would have an application to drive a motor vehicle refused (under Section 92 [physical fitness] of Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988) other than on the grounds of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol
• Is so severely disabled as to require the assistance of a companion in order to travel on public transport, Swindon Dial-A-Ride or other community transport (For more details please see the Dial A Ride website (www.dialarideswindon.org.uk).

Concessionary Travel Options

There are two options of getting help with the cost of transport. You can only choose one option. You cannot change your chosen option unless your circumstances change significantly.

Option 1: National Bus Concession

Option 1 can be used between 9.30am and 11.00pm, Monday to Friday. Bus Passes may however be used at any time on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. It can also be used on Service 23, 9.20am from Stratton Park and on the V-bus service.

Option 2: Travel Voucher Scheme (Mobility Impaired)

Option 2 can be used to travel at any time.

Companion Allowance

If you are unable to travel without assistance, you may be able to apply for a companion allowance. For more details please telephone Swindon Direct on 01793 445500.

Other Information

Certain bus services have been identified as not eligible for free travel. A service is not an eligible service if:

• More than half of the accommodation on the vehicle by means of which the service is provided can be reserved by members of the general public in advance of travel (e.g. coach travel such as National Express coaches)
• It is intended to operate for less than six consecutive weeks (like the once-a-week bus service to the market at Morton in Marsh)
• It is operated primarily for the purposes of tourism or because of the historical interest of the vehicle (e.g. town or city tour buses)
• It is a bus substitution service; (e.g. for rail passengers transferred by bus or coach because of rail work repairs)
• The fare for the service includes a special amenity element (e.g. where parking charges are included in the bus fare for Park and Ride services)

How to Apply

Online

You can apply using the Concessionary Travel Online Application Form

Download an Application

You can download and complete a Concessionary Travel Application Form from the list below:

• Concessionary Travel Application Form (For Blind People)
• Concessionary Travel Application Form (For Others)

When completed, you can either:

Take it to Swindon Borough Council's Customer Service team, Swindon Direct ... or,

1. Send it, along with a passport-sized photograph (head and shoulders shot) to:

         Concessionary Travel Office
         Civic Offices
         Euclid Street
         Swindon
         SN1 2JH

Please Note:

1. Applications, by any means, will only be accepted up to a maximum of 10 days before the date you become eligible for your bus pass. You will need to take with you your proof of entitlement (please see below).
2. If you take your application to Swindon Direct, your photograph will be taken and a pass will be ordered. The photograph will be kept to enable future ID cards to be printed.
3. When your pass is ready, you will need to collect it in person and show your proof of entitlement (See below).
4. The information you provide within this application is subject to the requirements of Data Protection Act. Please see the Data Protection Act Statement.

How to Prove your Entitlement

If you qualify for travel as an older person, you will need to show documentary evidence of both your age and address as follows:

For your age, one of the following:

• Driving licence
• Passport
• Medical card
• Birth certificate (and marriage certificate if applicable)
• Other official documentary evidence

For your address, one of the following:

• Driving licence
• Council Tax bill
• Recent utilities bill, e.g. gas, electricity or telephone (this must be addressed to the applicant)
• Other official documentary evidence.

To qualify under the disabled categories you must be of fare-paying age, and you will need to provide additional information to support your application.

If you have any of the following, then you qualify for the New National Bus Pass or Mobility Vouchers:

• Vision Services Card (Severe Sight Impaired or Partially Sighted)
• Disabled Parking Badge
• Higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement

If you do not have any of the above, then please contact Swindon Direct 01793 445500 for more details.

Costs

Please note the Council is not liable to reimburse any costs incurred from applicants in proving entitlement.

How to Collect Your Pass

When your pass has been produced you will be notified that it is ready to collect. You will need to collect it in person with your proof of entitlement. If you are unable to collect it within 14 days from being notified please let us know.

Please collect your pass from the Swindon Direct One-stop-shop. For details of the address and opening hours, please visit the Swindon Direct web page.

We keep a copy of all concessionary pass holders photograph to enable future ID cards to be printed. Photographs can be updated by e-mail or at Swindon Direct One Stop Shop as required.

Please remember to bring your proof of entitlement with you when you collect your pass.

Further Information and Advice

You can also get information about Concessionary Travel at:

Local Council Offices in:

• Haydon Wick
• Highworth
• Stratton St Margaret
• Wroughton

Local Clubs and Organisations

An information sheet covering arrangements for the scheme is available to download at Concessionary Travel Information Leaflet (23Kb)

We have also informed organisations such as the Swindon Coalition of Disabled People, as well as numerous clubs, day centres, and residential and nursing homes.

National Websites

In addition, more details on Concessionary Travel are available on the Department for Transport website (www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/concessionary).