Official Statistics

Concessionary travel statistics: year ending March 2024

Updated 27 March 2025

Applies to England

About this release

This release presents statistics on concessionary travel in England, which are based on survey data collected from Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs). Concessionary travel relates to when eligible people travel on reduced (or free) fares.

These statistics cover:

• older and disabled concessionary passes
• concessionary bus journeys
• payments made by TCAs to reimburse operators
• financial breakdowns for operating concessionary schemes

These statistics are summarised for 3 key area types, London, metropolitan (met) areas, and non-metropolitan (non-met) areas.

More details on the journeys and individuals that fall within the scope of concessionary travel, as well as the definitions used in this release, are provided in the definitions section, with additional information provided on the guidance page.

Headline figures

In England, comparing the year ending March 2024 with the year ending March 2023, there were:

• 8.8 million older and disabled concessionary travel passes, up 1%
• 604 million concessionary bus journeys, up 6%
• £708 million reimbursed to bus operators by TCAs, down 6% (constant prices)
• £885 million in net current expenditure on concessionary travel, down 5% (constant prices)

In this year’s data collection, TCAs were able to provide revised figures for specific survey questions. For the year ending 2023, we incorporated these revisions wherever TCAs provided updated figures that passed our validation checks, and these have been reflected accordingly in the publication tables.

These statistics have always been revised each year to use any new information, in order to be as accurate as possible. The revisions are usually minor and do not affect the overall narrative of these statistics.

Older and disabled concessionary passes

The number of concessionary passes is typically sourced from administrative databases. Whilst this provides a reasonable proxy for the number of pass holders, they will include inactive passes, those issued to people who are deceased, and those who no longer live in the area.

There were 8.8 million older and disabled concessionary passes in England in the year ending March 2024, an increase of 1% compared with the year ending March 2023.

Across England, this figure breaks down as:

• 1.2 million in London, up 4%
• 2 million in metropolitan areas, down 1%
• 5.6 million in non-metropolitan areas, up 1%

Most of these concessionary passes in England were for older people (89%) rather than disabled people (11%). The proportion varies slightly by area type.

Chart 1: Older and disabled concessionary passes by area status, England, year ending March 2011 to 2024 (BUS08a)

Year-on-year changes in the number of concessionary passes should be treated with caution.

Older and disabled concessionary passes in England peaked in the year ending March 2016 at 9.9 million and have been slowly decreasing ever since (Chart 1).

Since the year ending March 2011, older and disabled concessionary passes (Chart 1) are:

• up 4% in London
• down 12% in metropolitan areas
• down 8% in non-metropolitan areas

Concessionary bus journeys

There were 604 million concessionary bus journeys in England in the year ending March 2024, an increase of 6% compared with the year ending March 2023.

Across England, this figure breaks down as:

• 215 million in London, up 9%
• 144 million in metropolitan areas, up 2%
• 245 million in non-metropolitan areas, up 6%

Chart 2: Concessionary bus journeys by area status, England, year ending March 2011 to 2024 (BUS08a)

These figures are broadly in line with trends seen in the annual bus statistics for overall bus journeys for England outside London.

In addition further effort has been made to align the methodology of the concessionary journey figures for London in the annual bus statistics with how the concessionary travel journey figures are produced for this release.

This follows discussions with Transport for London (TfL), leading to data for concessionary journeys in the annual bus statistics being revised to no longer include passengers using the 60 plus London Oyster card. This is a commercial discount offered by TfL, rather than being paid for by local government, so it was determined that it should not be included in the concessionary travel journey figures. As a result the concessionary journey figures for London in the annual bus statistics are now broadly comparable with the figures presented in this release.

Concessionary bus journeys in England peaked in the year ending March 2012 at 1.05 billion and have gradually declined since. In the year ending March 2021, journeys were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing by 66% to a record low of 270 million. In the year ending March 2024, journeys increased by 6% compared with the year ending March 2023, reaching 75% of pre-pandemic levels (the year ending March 2020), up from 71% in the previous year (Chart 2).

Since the year ending March 2011, concessionary bus journeys in each area type have broadly followed the England trend (Chart 2). In the year ending March 2024, recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic varied slightly by area type, with:

• London reaching 86% of pre-pandemic levels, up from around 79% in the previous year
• metropolitan areas reaching 69% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 67% in the previous year
• non-metropolitan areas reaching 72% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 68% in the previous year

Concessionary bus journeys per pass

An average of 68.9 concessionary bus journeys were made per statutory pass in England for the year ending March 2024, an increase of 5% compared with the year ending March 2023.

The number of journeys per pass is typically much higher in London than other areas. In the year ending March 2024, there were 180 journeys per pass in London, compared to 73.7 in metropolitan areas and 43.6 in non-metropolitan areas.

Chart 3: Concessionary bus journeys per statutory pass by area status, England, year ending March 2011 to 2024 (BUS08a)

Concessionary bus journeys per statutory pass in England peaked in the year ending March 2011 at 110 journeys per pass and have gradually declined since (Chart 3). In the year ending March 2021, journeys per pass were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, dropping by 66% to a record low of 30.2. In the year ending March 2024, journeys per pass saw an increase of 5% compared with the year ending March 2023 and have now recovered to 78% of pre-pandemic levels (the year ending March 2020).

Since the year ending March 2011, concessionary bus journeys per statutory pass in each area type have broadly followed the England trend (Chart 3). In the year ending March 2024, recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic varied slightly by area type, with:

• London at 81% of pre-pandemic levels, which compares with 79% for the previous year
• metropolitan areas reaching 72% of pre-pandemic levels, which compares with 67% for the previous year
• non-metropolitan areas reaching 76% of pre-pandemic levels, which compares with 68% for the previous year

Expenditure on concessionary travel at constant 2024 prices (adjusted for inflation)

Net current expenditure is the amount of money spent by TCAs on running the concessionary travel scheme in their area. This covers both the statutory and discretionary elements (if offered by the TCA), including:

• reimbursement to bus operators
• administration
• pass production costs
• employee costs

There is more than one source available for figures on concessionary travel spending. The statistics presented here are based on the Concessionary Travel survey for consistency with other figures, such as reimbursement of bus operators.

Similar data are collected by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of their revenue outturn data. The MHCLG data for concessionary travel reimbursement are presented in the BUS05 data collection.

In the year ending March 2024, net current expenditure on concessionary travel by TCAs was £885 million, down 5% from last year (adjusted for inflation) and 67% of pre-pandemic levels (adjusted for inflation, the year ending March 2020).

Across England, this figure breaks down as:

• £225 million in London (25% of total)
• £268 million in metropolitan areas (30% of total)
• £392 million in non-metropolitan areas (44% of total)

Chart 4: Net current expenditure (at 2024 prices) on concessionary bus travel by area status, England, year ending March 2011 to 2024 (BUS08dii)

Reimbursement from London Councils to Transport for London (TfL) is calculated from journeys taken in earlier years. The latest figures therefore are still partially based on journeys affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For this year’s release DfT have worked with London Councils to improve the accuracy of the net current expenditure figures for London. After reviewing and updating the methodology for most years (excluding the year ending 2011 and the year ending 2012) this has led to revisions being made to the previously published figures in the accompanying tables. There is still some uncertainty with earliest years that have not been revised so caution should be taken when comparing across years.

Going forwards we shall continue to work with London Councils to review and revise the methodology if and when necessary. Further details around the changes to the net current expenditure figures for London can be found in the accompanying background quality report.

Net current expenditure on concessionary bus travel in England (adjusted for inflation) has been decreasing since the year ending March 2011, down 42% since then (Chart 4). This is a comparable change to concessionary bus journeys, which are also down 42% over the same period.

Net current expenditure in metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas has steadily declined since the year ending March 2011 (Chart 4). However, net current expenditure in London increased from the year ending March 2011 to the year ending March 2016, and then started to steadily decline before increasing between the year ending 2023 and the year ending 2024.

Bus operators are typically reimbursed by TCAs on a ‘no better, no worse off’ basis for concessionary travel, as per statutory requirements. However the ‘no better’ part of this was temporarily suspended through statutory instruments (SIs) from April 2020 to March 2024. This followed the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby TCAs were allowed (but not required to) reimburse operators up to the pre-pandemic levels.

Due to some TCAs reimbursing above the ‘no worse off’ rate during this period, the level of concessionary reimbursement did not fully reflect the reduced number of concessionary journeys.

The ending of the final SI in March 2024 means reimbursement reverted back to the ‘no better, no worse off’ basis from this point. From April 2024, bus operators will therefore be reimbursed in line with actual journeys, coupled with a lower overall concessionary patronage (in contrast with the higher pre-pandemic levels). This however is likely to be offset by the new DfT guidance and reimbursement calculator introduced to help TCAs determine the appropriate rate of reimbursement. The full effect of these changes shall be evident in future years, from the year beginning April 2024 onwards.

In the year ending March 2024, 84% of net current expenditure was spent on statutory concessionary schemes, which must be provided by TCAs. This proportion has remained broadly stable over the past decade and was unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, although has decreased in the most recent year from 85% in the year ending March 2023. For each area type, this proportion of pre-pandemic levels becomes:

• 94% for London
• 69% for metropolitan areas
• 88% for non-metropolitan areas

Reimbursement to bus operators

The net current expenditure is distributed across various elements of concessionary travel in England, with the most spent on reimbursing bus operators.

Reimbursement must be calculated by TCAs and is not straightforward. The base principle is that bus operators should be no better and no worse off from the concessionary scheme.

This legal requirement was temporarily relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow TCAs to continue to reimburse at higher levels than would otherwise be due but this expired in April 2024.

In the year ending March 2024, reimbursement to bus operators accounted for 80% of net current expenditure by TCAs on concessionary travel, or £708 million. This is down 6% compared to the previous year and down 32% since before the COVID-19 pandemic (year ending March 2020), where reimbursement to bus operators was £1.05 billion albeit accounting for the same proportion (79%) of net current expenditure by TCAs.

By area type, reimbursement as a proportion of net current expenditure in the year ending March 2024 becomes:

• 66% for London
• 70% for metropolitan areas
• 95% for non-metropolitan areas

Chart 5: Concessionary reimbursement (at 2024 prices) by area status, England, year ending March 2011 to 2024 (BUS08dii)

Reimbursement from London Councils to Transport for London (TfL) is calculated from journeys taken in earlier years. The latest figure therefore may be partially based on journeys during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reimbursement to bus operators in England (adjusted for inflation) has been decreasing since the year ending March 2011, declining by 43% since then (Chart 5). This is a comparable change to concessionary bus journeys, down 42% over the same period.

Reimbursement in metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas have steadily declined since the year ending March 2011 (Chart 5). However, reimbursement in London increased from the year ending March 2011 to the year ending March 2015, and then started to steadily decline, before flattening out in the latest year.

Discretionary concessions outside London

Since the year ending March 2011, almost all TCAs outside London have offered some discretionary travel concessions, although the offering can change over time.

Table 1: Top 6 discretionary concessions offered by TCAs, England outside of London, year ending March 2025, (BUS08P02)

Discretionary concession	Number of TCAs	Proportion of TCAs (%)
Extensions to the beginning of the statutory time period (9:30am) during weekdays	66	77.6%
Companions to disabled people	56	65.9%
Extensions to the end of the statutory time period (11:00pm) during weekdays	54	63.5%
Allowing the use of discretionary companion passes issued by other TCAs	38	44.7%
Park and Ride services	31	36.5%
Young people (between 5 and 25)	24	28.2%

Some of the concessions offered are very specific to the TCA, such as those for light rail services or ferries.

Young people

Discretionary concessions for young people can be offered by TCAs directly or by bus operators on a commercial basis.

In the year ending March 2025, youth concessions are offered by 24 out of 85 TCAs in England outside London. A youth concession is offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 TCAs in England outside London.

Definitions

Statutory concessions

In England, there is a statutory concession called the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). An ENCTS pass allows eligible disabled people and those of state pension age, at a minimum, to travel for free on local bus services anywhere in England, between 9:30am and 11:00pm during weekdays and anytime at weekends and bank holidays. The scheme is administered by Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs).

In London, there is a statutory concession called the Freedom Pass, which covers the whole London Local Transport Network.

Since April 2010, the eligibility age for everyone has been tied to the State Pension age for women. The pensionable age for women reached 65 in 2018 and increased to 66 for both men and women from 2020.

Discretionary concessions

Some TCAs choose to offer residents discretionary concessions over and above the statutory scheme to eligible groups. These can include reduced (or free) fares:

• outside the statutory time period
• for companions of disabled pass holders
• for young people or other targeted groups
• on transport modes other than buses, such as trams or light rail

Data are not available from this survey on:

• concessionary journeys on other transport modes
• reimbursement to operators running concessions on other transport modes

In London, the statutory concession already covers off-peak travel on the whole London Local Transport Network for eligible residents, as well as free bus travel in England. As a discretionary concession, London residents aged 60 plus can obtain a 60 plus Oyster card, which allows free travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services within London.

Reimbursement

The underlying principle of reimbursement is set out in domestic regulations, which state that operators should be left no better and no worse off as a result of the existence of concessionary travel schemes. Therefore, the calculation includes:

• concessionary passenger journeys
• revenue forgone - an estimate of the revenue that would have been made in the absence of a scheme
• additional costs incurred due to journeys “generated” by the scheme’s existence, such as operating, capacity and peak vehicle costs
• additional costs incurred by administering the scheme

In March 2021, 2022, and 2023, temporary amendments to statutory instruments (SIs) were put in place in to remove the requirement that a bus operator be ‘no better off’ as a result of providing a concession. This allowed TCAs to continue to reimburse at pre-pandemic levels, should they wish to do so. The most recent amendment to the SI expired in April 2024, leading to the reinstatement of the underlying principle of operators being reimbursed on a ‘no better and no worse off’ basis. As the amendment to the SI was not mandatory some TCAs may have chosen to ignore the change from the outset while other TCAs may have also already reverted back to the ‘no better and no worse off’ principle.

Geography

Metropolitan (met) areas: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands (county) and West Yorkshire.

Non-metropolitan (non-met) areas: Shire counties and unitary authorities. All areas within England that are not London or a Metropolitan area.

Background notes

There is an accompanying background quality report for these statistics.

About these figures

Statistics in this report are derived from DfT’s annual Concessionary Travel Survey. This survey is issued to each of the Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs) in England.

The overall response rate for the year ending March 2024 was 100%.

Where data were missing from the survey, statistics are determined using:

• information from adjacent years
• information from similar authorities
• TCA websites (where applicable)
• alternative sources

In this release, numbers may not add up to totals and percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Interpreting trends over time

These statistics were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, where travel on all modes decreased. The number of bus journeys decreased as a result of these travel restrictions, including concessionary bus journeys. The expenditure on concessionary and other bus use by local authorities changed to support the provision of services during this time.

Year-on-year changes in the number of concessionary passes should be treated with caution. They can see major changes when TCAs:

• perform manual exercises to clean their records
• change their pass renewal policy
• encourage take up of the scheme

Users and uses of these statistics

Within the Department for Transport, these statistics are used to understand the impact of changes to the concessionary travel scheme and reimbursement guidance, for ministerial briefing and to answer public enquiries.

Other users include TCAs and others with an interest in concessionary travel, such as campaign groups, bus operators and specialist transport press.

Related sources of information

The Department for Transport’s Survey of Public Service Vehicle Operators (PSV Survey) also collects figures for concessionary bus journeys, which are compiled into annual bus statistics.

These include:

• overall bus patronage and trends
• youth concessionary journeys
• older and disabled journeys
• operator finances

Official Statistics

Official Statistics are produced to the high professional standards set by the Code of Practice for Statistics. However, these statistics have not yet been assessed by the Office for Statistics Regulation.

Details of ministers and officials who receive pre-release access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release can be found in the pre-release access list.

Next release

The next Concessionary Travel Statistics are due to be published in late 2025.

Any updates to these plans will be advertised via the DfT statistical publications schedule.

To hear more about DfT statistical publications as they are released, follow us on X at DfTstats.

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