£12.5 million for older and disabled people’s bus travel this year

More than £12 million looks set to be spent on supporting bus travel for older and disabled people in Brighton & Hove over the next 12 months.

Cabinet members will be asked to approve recommendations for concessionary travel when they meet on Thursday 14 May.

The city has around 42,000 concessionary bus pass holders. These are made up of approximately 35,000 Older People’s Bus Passes and 7000 Disabled People’s Bus Passes.

The number of journeys being made by passholders increased by up to 16% on some routes in the last year. Because of the high quality of Brighton & Hove’s bus network, and the increase in the number of express routes we’re helping to support, we also have very high uptake of concessionary travel.

A good deal for the city

The council has a statutory duty to reimburse bus operators for journeys made by concessional bus pass holders.

Instead of using a government formula to calculate how much that would be, we have instead negotiated a fixed deal with the operators which we believe provides better value for the city.

If approved by Cabinet, we’ll be reimbursing them around £12.5 million for concessionary fare journeys.

We’ll also continue to support extended hours of free travel for pass holders, way beyond the statutory minimum.

In Brighton & Hove, concessionary travel for Older People’s Bus Pass holders starts earlier in the morning and finishes later in the evening while disabled users are able to use their concessionary travel pass 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We’ll also be providing additional funding for the city’s express bus services and bus priority feasibility studies in areas of the city, including Woodingdean.

The funding to support older and disabled people’s bus travel comes from the council’s parking fees and charges.

You can read more in the report being presented to Cabinet.

A lifeline for many

Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “Older and Disabled People’s Bus Passes are a lifeline for so many people in Brighton & Hove.

“They’re vital for linking people with shops, businesses, health services and friends and family so it’s important we use money from fees and charges to support vulnerable people in the city.

“By negotiating a fixed price with the bus operators, we believe we’ve reached a better deal for the city. Concessionary pass holders will also continue to benefit from being able to travel for longer, above and beyond the statutory minimum.

“Buses are a sustainable and convenient way to travel, which is why we’ll also be spending another £9 million this year from our Local Authority Bus Grant on improving  services and keeping fares affordable for local families.”