Stories

Tue, 18 Aug 2026

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 Disabled people in England to get 24-hour free bus travel

The change, which has been welcomed by campaign groups, will come into effect in England from April.
The UK government has announced that disabled people in England will be able to travel on buses for free at any time of day from April 1st. Currently, disabled bus passes only allow travel between 9:30am and 11pm on weekdays, making it difficult for disabled individuals to get to work or attend evening events. The change is estimated to benefit around one million people and forms part of the government's efforts to reduce living costs and encourage employment. The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he believes it is unfair that many disabled individuals cannot use their bus passes during certain times of day. He has previously implemented this policy in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester and claims it will be a "huge win for the disabled community". The change will see the £60m scheme funded by departmental budgets from the Department for Transport and Department for Work and Pensions. The government has already introduced free bus travel for under-16s during August, as well as a £2 bus fare cap for single tickets. Critics have questioned how the policy will be funded, with a Conservative Party spokesman suggesting that it is simply a "shuffling around of existing departmental budgets". However, supporters believe that the change will make a significant difference to disabled individuals and provide greater freedom.