Bus Passes
Diamond Travelcard - Free bus travel for residents aged 60 and
over and residents with disabilities
On 1st April 2008, a new National Bus Concession was
introduced that allows eligible people to travel for free after
9.30am Mondays to Fridays, and anytime on Saturdays, Sundays &
Public Holidays, on all local bus services in England. Please
see the list of frequently asked questions below for
details.
Frequently Asked Questions for the New National Concessionary
Bus Travel Scheme
I’ve heard that changes are being made to
the Diamond Travelcard scheme. What’s happening?
All current Diamond Travelcards have been replaced with new
passes. The new Diamond Travelcards will continue to entitle
holders to free travel on local bus services in the local area but,
in addition, they will give free travel on local buses across the
whole of England, with some time restrictions. These new passes
will be valid from 1st April 2008. Current passes will continue to
be valid until 30th September 2008 for travel in Bath & North
East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
only.
back to top
Do I have to apply for a new Diamond
Travelcard?
If you have a current Diamond Travelcard and you still live
in Bath & North East Somerset, you should have received a new
pass automatically. Some other Councils required their residents to
re-apply so you may have heard of others who have had to do so.
back to top
What additional entitlement do I get
with the new pass?
Your new Diamond Travelcard entitles you to free travel on local
bus services anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm on Mondays
to Fridays and all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. This
is the national minimum concession and it is in addition to the
current local concession. You will still be able to use local buses
in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and
South Gloucestershire at all times except before 9am Mondays to
Fridays.
back to top
How do I apply for a new national bus
pass?
If you did not have a Diamond Travelcard
previously and you are aged 60 or over, you need to complete
an application form (available from Council Connect offices or
on-line), provide a recent passport size photograph with evidence
of eligibility and residency in Bath & North East Somerset and
take them to one of the Council Connect offices at The Guildhall in
Bath, The Hollies in Midsomer Norton or Riverside in Keynsham. We
can post a form out to you if you request, but you will need to
visit a Council Connect office in person to make the application.
The evidence will be checked and returned to you. You will receive
a pass within fifteen working days but not before your sixtieth
birthday (if you are eligible on grounds of age).
back to top
I’m disabled – am I entitled to a bus
pass?
Persons aged under 60 who have certain disabilities may qualify.
The categories are:
- Blind or partially sighted
- Deaf
- Without speech
- Unable to walk
- No arms or lack of use of arms
- Learning disability
- Unfit to drive (but not because of alcohol or drugs)
Your application must be verified by a healthcare professional
(such as a doctor, nurse or occupational therapist).
back to top
I have just become eligible. How long do I
have to wait for my new bus pass?
New applicants will receive passes within fifteen working days
of submitting their application but not before their sixtieth
birthday (if they are eligible on grounds of age).
back to top
I have not received my new pass yet,
what should I do?
If you had a Diamond Travelcard previously and have not
received a new pass, please contact Council Connect and give your
personal details. Old Diamond Travelcards will remain valid
until 30th September 2008 for travel in Bath & North East
Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
However, if you wish to travel outside the local area, we will
issue a temporary national pass to be used in conjunction with your
current pass, within fifteen working days.
back to top
What happens if I lose or damage my
pass?
There is a charge of £5 for a replacement pass, which you should
pay at a Council Connect office (The Guildhall in Bath, The Hollies
in Midsomer Norton or Riverside in Keynsham) before a replacement
is issued. We recommend that you check thoroughly before reporting
a pass as being lost (including with bus operators’ lost property
offices).
A replacement pass will be sent to you by post within fifteen
working days. Generally, you will not need to supply another
photograph because we already have a photograph of you stored
electronically in our database. However, the standards for
acceptable photographs have been revised recently, so we may ask
you to supply a new one. Please note that passes are not
issued at Council Connect offices, only by post. If the lost pass
turns up subsequently, do not attempt to use it – it will be
“hotlisted” and you will be refused travel. Please return any found
passes to a Council Connect office.
If your pass has been stolen, the theft must be reported to the
Police. They will give you a Crime Reference Number which we will
need in order to issue a replacement. Generally, there is no charge
for replacing a stolen pass. If the stolen pass is returned to you
subsequently, do not attempt to use it – it will be “hotlisted” and
you will be refused travel. Please return any such passes to a
Council Connect office.
back to top
Where and when can I use my new Diamond
Travelcard?
Your new pass will be valid for use after 9am Mondays to
Fridays, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays on all
local bus services in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol,
North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and also for travel
to places outside that area.
In addition, your new pass will be valid for free travel on
local bus services anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm on
Mondays to Fridays and all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank
Holidays.
back to top
Are there any changes to the local concession that I got
previously?
Yes – but only in respect of travel from places outside the
scheme area back into it. Within Bath & North East Somerset,
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, you can travel
free on local buses at any time except between before 9am Mondays
to Fridays (no time restriction at weekends or on Bank Holidays).
This local entitlement also applies to travel from the scheme area
to places outside the scheme area. However, if you get on a bus
outside the scheme area, the national minimum concession applies -
even if you are travelling back into the scheme area.
Also, the new pass is not valid for travel on the City
Tour or Skyline Tour in Bath (except for specific short local
journeys – please contact the operator for details) or on the
Bristol Open-Top Tour.
back to top
Can I use my bus pass on Park &
Ride services?
Yes - your new pass will be valid on Park & Ride services in
Bath and Bristol at all times except before 9am Mondays to Fridays.
Also, it will be available on Park & Ride services in many
other towns and cities, except before 9.30am Mondays to
Fridays.
back to top
Can I use my bus pass on Bath tour bus
services?
You will be able to use your bus pass to obtain a free
Shuttle ticket that will allow you use the service to make
local journeys between stops along the route. The Shuttle
ticket is only valid for seats on the lower deck of the bus and
headphones for the tour commentary will not be provided. The
bus pass is not valid for the purchase of Sightseeing
tickets. For further information about Bath City Sightseeing
tickets, please contact the operator on (01225) 330 444.
back to top
How long will my bus pass be valid
for?
Expiry dates will be printed on the new passes.
back to top
How do I re-apply for my bus pass when it
expires?
We will send a reminder letter to you in advance of the expiry
date. It will be necessary to fill in a new application form,
provide proof of eligibility and residency and a new photograph. In
the meantime, if you move out of Bath & North East Somerset or
if there is a change in your circumstances such that you no longer
need the pass, please notify Council Connect and return the pass to
a Council Connect office.
back to top
How do I use my bus pass?
To get free travel with your Diamond Travelcard, you must show
it to the driver every time you get on a bus. Some bus companies
will require you to state your destination and issue a ticket to
you. If so, please keep the ticket until you get off the bus – you
may need to show it to an inspector. If you forget to take your
pass with you, you must pay the normal fare.
back to top
My old Diamond Travelcard
doesn’t expire for another three years – can I continue to use it
until then?
No – current passes will not be valid after 30th September 2008,
no matter what expiry date is printed on them, and they will not be
valid for travel outside Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol,
North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. You should use your new
pass for all bus travel and destroy your old pass.
back to top
My old Diamond Travelcard
had Companion entitlement – will this continue?
Yes – but only within Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol,
North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and to places outside the
area on direct buses. In addition, we have made arrangements with
North Wiltshire, West Wiltshire and Salisbury Councils for
Companion entitlements to be valid in their areas.
back to top
How do I find information about times
and routes of buses in other areas?
For timetable information on local bus services throughout
England, please visit www.traveline.info or telephone
Traveline on 0871 200 2233 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network
charges).
back to top
I’ve received someone else’s bus pass in
the post - what shall I do with it?
Please hand it in to your nearest Council Connect office (Bath,
Keynsham or Midsomer Norton) as soon as possible.
back to top
My new pass has someone else’s
photograph on it – what shall I do?
Please phone Council Connect and give full details. We will send
you a temporary national pass which you should use in conjunction
with your current pass. A new Diamond Travelcard will be made
up and sent to you
back to top
My husband/wife has passed away but I’ve received
a bus pass for him/her - what should I do?
We have tried to keep our records up to date to avoid such
situations but they may still occur and we apologise for any
distress that may be caused. Please give us full details and return
the pass to a Council Connect office or destroy it.
back to top
What can’t I use the new pass
on?
Your new Diamond Travelcard is not valid on:
- Bath City Tour or Skyline Tour (except short local
journeys)
- Bristol Open-Top Tour
- Long-distance coach services (with some exceptions – please
contact the coach operator for full details)
- Rail and ferry services
- Tram, Underground and Metro services
- Local bus services in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales
(except for travel on the direct bus service between Bristol or
South Gloucestershire and Chepstow, Newport or places in
between)
- Taxis
back to top
If I go to London, can I use
my new Diamond Travelcard there?
Yes – on bus services between 9.30am and 11pm Mondays to Fridays
and all day Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays. It will not be
valid on the Underground, trams or trains.
back to top
What about buses in
Scotland and Wales?
No - your new pass will not be valid in Scotland or Wales,
except for travel on bus services X10, X11 and X14 between Bristol
or South Gloucestershire and Chepstow, Newport or places in
between.
back to top
I need someone to travel with me
on the bus, can they travel for free?
If you need assistance to travel on buses and this is confirmed
by a healthcare professional, your pass can be endorsed to enable a
Companion to travel free on local buses with you during the scheme
hours. However, Companion entitlement is valid only in Bath
& North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South
Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire, West Wiltshire and Salisbury. If
you travel elsewhere in England, your Companion may have to pay the
normal fare.
back to top
Can I use my new Diamond Travelcard on
dial-a-ride services?
If you belong to a Community Transport group (such as Keynsham
& District Dial-a-Ride or Midsomer Norton Ring & Ride),
your Diamond Travelcard entitles you to discounted fares on local
dial-a-ride services. For full details, please contact the
group.
back to top
Why has the scheme
changed?
The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 extended the entitlement
to free off-peak bus travel for elderly and disabled persons to
cover the whole of England.
back to top
Who is paying for all these
changes?
The Government is providing an additional £212 million to
Councils across England to meet the extra costs of the national
scheme.
back to top
What else do I need to
know?
- Please remember that you are the only person allowed to use
your bus pass. If you allow someone else to use it, your pass could
be withdrawn.
- Travelling by bus using your bus pass is subject to the normal
regulations and conditions of the bus operators. Your bus pass
does not give you any rights other than those enjoyed by any other
passenger, nor does it entitle you to be carried in preference to
other passengers.
- If you move, please notify us of your new address as soon as
possible. If you move out of Bath & North East Somerset, you
will need to apply to your new Council for a replacement bus
pass.
- If you no longer require a pass for whatever reason, please
return it to the Council as soon as possible.
back to top
Traveline
provides timetables and journey planners for bus, coach and rail
services in the South West. Traveline is also available
on tel. 0871 200 22 33 between 7 am and 10 pm (calls cost 10p
per minute from landlines).
Transport Direct is designed to be the first complete
transport journey planner for Great Britain. In addition to
providing public transport information, you can compare car
journeys with national and local public transport (excluding GB
internal air).
See Also: Time
Tables and Journey Planners
(back to top)
