Bus Passes - latest news

Date Published: 29th April 2008

Bus passes for over 60s.
There has been a problem all across the country with the issuing of the over 60s national free travel passes. The company handling the processing of applications (one of the Government specified suppliers) admits that the numbers of passes required has exceeded their original estimates by 300,000 amounting to 1.5million nationally.

Here in Braintree District, we normally expect around 15,000 applications which have been dealt with promptly in previous years. We were able to send the names of existing pass holders to the company in good time, so virtually all of these have been supplied.

However, the number of calls to the Council indicates that there may be a few hundred people still waiting for a pass and action has been taken to process these applications as quickly as possible. If residents have not received their pass they may be elegible for a temporary pass, which can be requested by calling : 01376 552525 extension 2355.

Date Published: 1st April 2008
New bus passes due to be issued for use on 1 April 2008 have been delayed due to problems with despatch. The Council’s suppliers are working on this and the new passes are due to arrive by the weekend. This is a problem affecting a number of councils in East Anglia and across the country.

In the meantime, arrangements have been made with local bus operators for the existing bus passes to be honoured for local travel until the 30th April 2008.

From 1 April 2008, a new ‘Free in England Travel Concession’ scheme starts and passes will be valid throughout England between 9.30am and 11pm weekdays and all day at weekends and bank holidays. In the Braintree District this will be valid from 9am to 11pm weekdays and all day at weekends and bank holidays.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, telephone the Customer Services Centre on 01376 552525.

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If you are 60 years of age or over, or you have a disability and claim the higher mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), AND you live permanently in the Braintree District Council area, then you are entitled to choose one of the following travel concessions each year to assist travel on public transport throughout the county:

Fare Paid Essex Travel Pass - This FREE bus travel pass entitles the holder to FREE travel anywhere in Essex (after 9am weekdays or all day weekends and bank holidays).

Travel Tokens - cost £15.00 for £40.00 value of tokens.Tokens may be used to pay for most bus, taxi or rail fares. They are intended to assist towards travel for the resident who travels infrequently or is unable to use the public bus service.

We also offer the concession choice of a Fare Paid Companion Pass (£34.00) to help people with certain disabling conditions who need a companion with them to enable them to travel. Please contact us if you require help or advice about the eligibility requirements for this type of pass.

How to claim your concession:

- Standard Application Form for 2007/8

- Disabled Applicant Form 2007/8 and Disabled Conditions of Use 2007/8

If you are an existing customer: In the month before your current concession expires you should receive a renewal letter to claim your new Travel Pass or Travel Tokens for the current year. Note: all tokens expire 31st March whereas travel passes expire a year from their date of issue (expiry dates are stated on the bus pass).

New Applicants: Application forms are available above or from the Council Offices. You will need to complete an application form, produce some required evidence as proof of eligibility as well as a passport photo and/or payment (depending on concession type applied for) and then your concession for the year can be issued.

What to do if you lose your Travel Pass... Please take care of your travel pass but if you do lose it a duplicate replacement can be issued once we have recieved another passport size picture of yourself and a £2 administration fee. We ask that you wait 7 days before we issue a duplicate travel pass to see if yours is handed into the Council.