Reading Concessionary Travel Scheme

Reading Borough Council gives notice of the publication of its concessionary bus fares scheme for older and disabled people, as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), in accordance with and subject to the relevant provisions of the Transport Act 1985, the Transport Act 2000, the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 and all associated secondary legislation.

Reading Concessionary Fares Scheme 2024–25

Draft scheme particulars for Concessionary Fares Scheme 2025 – 2026

We have published the draft scheme particulars for 2025 to 2026.

Bus passes

Reading borough residents who wish to apply for the Elderly Concessionary Bus Pass must currently be 66 years of age or over. If you are unsure about your entitlement to your free Elderly Concessionary Bus Pass you can check your eligibility.

Please be aware you will only be able to use your Elderly Concessionary Bus Pass on or after your 66th birthday even if you receive it earlier.

Reading Borough Council automatically renews bus passes that are about to expire, you are not required to do anything.

The bus passes are sent to the address held on your Bus Pass records. If you do not receive your renewed bus pass by the expiry date of your bus pass, please get in touch, either by phone or email and we can check our records.

Please note the average turnaround time to process a concessionary travel pass application, including lost, stolen or damaged is 10 working days.

Passes are not valid on football/rugby buses, private hire coaches, RailAir or trains.

Please DO NOT use the above link to replace a lost or damaged (Childs) scholar pass. You will need to contact the school transport team either by email to school.transport@brighterfuturesforchildren.org or by phone on 0118 9372542 to request a replacement.

We cannot issue a person with a replacement bus pass if your bus pass was issued by another local authority or if you no longer live within Reading Borough Council’s area. Please contact your current local Council to arrange a new/replacement bus pass. If you originally had a bus pass issued by Reading Borough Council, which has now been lost/damaged/stolen please contact us on 0118 937 3767 to inform us as we are required to cancel your bus pass issued by us.

The replacement fee is £12.50. Please note that once paid the fee is non-refundable, including in the event that the applicant finds their old pass prior to receiving their new one. Once processed your lost pass will be deactivated so you will no long be able to use it should you subsequently find it.

A replacement bus pass is valid until the expiry date of the original bus pass.

If your pass was stolen and you have a valid crime reference number (CRN) from Thames Valley Police. Please be aware the Crime Reference Number will be double-checked with the police to ensure you have reported it.

Concessionary travel pass – change of details online form 

Disability bus passes

Reading Borough residents who cannot hold a driver’s license on medical grounds or with limited mobility can apply for a disability bus pass (Access Pass). You may use your pass at any time on weekdays, weekends and bank holidays and you may also be able to travel for free on Readibus if you meet their eligibility criteria. Carers may also qualify for free bus travel as a companion (Access Companion Pass).

For more information on concessionary bus passes please call 0118 937 3767 or use our online enquiry form.

Eligibility criteria for an Access or Access Companion bus pass

Readibus

Readibus provides a dial-a-ride bus service for people with limited mobility. You can apply for an access pass – journeys range from £1.50 to £3 if you do not have a pass.

School travel

Find out more about school travel.

Access or Access Companion bus pass eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible for an ‘Access Pass’, the applicant must meet ONE of the following criteria from either Automatic entitlement or Non-Automatic entitlement.

For Automatic entitlement, the applicant must be able to provide proof of their eligibility, by supplying the appropriate evidence, as marked in brackets.

For Non-automatic entitlement (and when applying for a companion entitlement), eligibility must be certified by an independent medical professional (such as a Doctor). Download and complete the C2 assessment form (please be aware this is not the application form) and take it to your doctor to sign. You must then upload it when you make your online application. Failure to provide an application form as well will result in us returning it to you to obtain one.

If you are applying for companion entitlement, this must be certified by an independent medical professional on the form. Download and complete the C3 assessment form (please be aware this is not the application form) and take it to your doctor to sign. You must then upload it when you make your online application. Failure to provide an application form as well will result in us returning it to you to obtain one.

Medical information (for Access and Access Companion Pass)

Automatic entitlement:

• Award Notice letter from Disability & Carers service showing High Rate Mobility component of disability living allowance
• is in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and scores either:
  • 8 (eight) or more points under the “Communicating” classification. This can be found in the Daily Living Activities section of your award letter.
  • 8 (eight) or more points under the “Moving around” classification. This can be found in the Mobility Activities section (normally the last page) of your award letter. Please note points scored under the Planning and Following a journey classification do not count if an applicant does not meet or exceed the required score for either of the above then they fail to meet the “automatic” criteria for a Concessionary Access Travel Pass.
  • If you meet the above statement, you must provide a current award notice letter of entitlement from the DWP. Please note that we will also need to see a copy of your score’s pages from the award letter from the DWP to prove you score the correct points.
  • No other form of evidence will be accepted to meet the above requirement.
• Award Letter from Service Personnel and Veterans Agency showing receipt of War Pensions Mobility Supplement
• Disabled persons badge
• Certificate of Vision Impairment
• Report from Aural specialist or registration with local authority social services department confirming profound or severely deaf

If none of the above –

Non-automatic entitlement:

• is without speech, in any language.
• has a disability, or has suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to walk.
• does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms.
• has a learning disability, that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning.
• would be refused a license to drive a motor vehicle, on grounds other than persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.