Bus fares

I can get a bus pass. The journey to Inverness by car is about 50 minutes, parking £2 for 3 hours. By bus I think I would be lucky to get there and back in a day, only one change but lots of hanging around. Used to get a discount on the train for locals but that entails a 1 1/2 mile walk to station and 1 1/2 hr on train. If we ever can't drive we will have to move!

3 buses a day in each direction past our house which would take us into our small town or to the train station. One twice a week to the nearest big town.
I'm the only driver so if as is possible I end up not being able to drive, I'll be ordering everything on line.

We can travel free on the bus but have to buy a pass for the metro. Can't really hack the long journey on the bus now so don't really use it.

it's 65 in this area, I've got a long wait bur DH qualifies in a couple of years. Yesterday we had a day out went over to the other side of Bristol & it was £6.50 each the same as to the centre

Here you get a bus pass at 'retirement' age, which obviously varies from person to person, but I have one as I am in a wheelchair and on the highest rate of PIP. Mind you, even if I wasn't as disabled as I am, I would get one at any age for having epilepsy. So to anyone out there, if you have epilepsy (even if you are allowed to drive) you may still qualify for free bus passes. These can be given at any age, throughout England, Scotland, Wales and, I think, NI.

Living on Wirral, train to Liverpool every 15 minutes, bus every 10 minutes and can use my pass on both so I've been able to ditch the car. How lucky is that?

I was lucky to reach retirement age not too late and got my bus pass and what a gift!! If you're in England you can use it on local buses anywhere, as far as I'm aware. I remember when they were first intrtoduced, people used them to travel the entire length of Britain for free. To me, by fat the best thing to have been introduced for us seniors, I live in hope that it will continue for many years to come

I love my freedom pass, don't have to pay on buses,trains or tube in London. DH can visit his daughter on the other side of London and see his granddaughters for free. I use it a lot. We also have senior railcards which make the train journeys cheaper.

Got my bus pass at 60 but tend to drive into park and ride and then use bus to get into town. DH grumbled about applying for his bus pass and never used it until recently when he did a return day trip to Glasgow for 50p! (Booking fee) He was highly delighted-free coffee, water, croissants, cake in both directions. Leather seats, free wifi, air con-he said it would be cheaper in the winter to go for a bus run than put the heating on! We can go anywhere in whole of Scotland on the bus entirely free and sometimes Scotrail do a promotion of any return journey for £18. Have even done a £5 train return from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. We're really very fortunate.

I use my bus pass all the time as I don't drive. It would cost me a lot to pay the fares and I'd probably go out a lot less. I can also use the train to central London. The only time I pay fares is for long distance trains (rarely) or taking the DGCs to central London. The DGC also get free bus travel.

Yes it's all part of keeping us oldies healthy enough to not be a drain on the NHS/SS!

Seriously though, if 'they' can keep us mobile and 'we' can keep active. it's a better usage of available finances in Local Authorities than putting us all in care homes from the age of 65 or whatever! It also has a positive impact on the environment and our Quality of Life if we can carry on being independent.

When I moved to London from the S Coast I got rid of my car. Firstly because I did not like driving in London and secondly because there was just no need to do so. I know I'm lucky to live in an area that has a plethora of bus and tube routes and to have a DS willing to take me other places, but without him and my Freedom Pass I'm sure I would quickly descend into a vegetative state.

I when using the bus to visit Bicester , as its before the 0930 bus pass time I get a £3 single , yet with Bicester and neighboring Bucks , there bus pass comes into play at 0900 Monday to Friday, but at weekends the bus pass is valid all day.
Mick

Jalima1108

^If I lived in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, London, Liverpool, Manchester etc, etc, etc, I'd have had free local bus travel two years ago^

but you wouldn't be able to use your pass in England if it is a Welsh, Scottish or Irish one.

In Scotland you get your pass at 60 and it covers all of Scotland . We have friends who make great use of it one especially who is not well off but can travel a long distance to see her family free. Must admit we prefer to use the car but we now have Ember electric busses . They are a new company and are expanding all the time . We can travel to Edinburgh for a show and come back the same night as they run 24 hours a day and our bus passes are valid on their routes.

Very old thread!

I got my bus pass as soon as I reached state pension age, 66 for me, I don’t use it a lot but I’m glad to have it. Parking in the city or at the hospital is expensive and very hard to find a space in horrid multi-storey car parks so I’m happy to be able to use the very frequent Park & Ride buses.

One day perhaps I’ll go further afield, even to a different town!

Kitty you only need to take a selfie to apply, better to have one and not need it, than to need but not have one. It’s not as if they’ll reduce your Council Tax or increase your pension if you opt out!

I would love a free bus pass. I could just walk through the ginnel 50ft away bus is right there &stops right outside M&S in town.
Instead our nearest free car park is on the outskirts of town, so I never shop in our town centre as I struggle to walk.
If I did have one, I would get rid of my diesel car.
Oh well just another four year to wait.

In Scotland, residents under 22, aged 60+, or disabled, can all get a free bus pass that covers the whole of Scotland and the isles, local buses and intercity long distance.

I've had mine 20 years so I have no idea what bus tickets cost these days.

Greenfinch

Very old thread!

I knew something was wrong when Kitty said she was 68 and a half.
Having known her for a long time made me look at the date 😂

Yes,petra and followed by a post from our old friend gillybob.

Ana

I think the Welsh bus pass allows you to get as far as Chester!

Scottish bus pass covers journeys originating in Scotland, as far as Carlisle and Berwick on Tweed.