Bus passes and tokens

If you live in the Wycombe district, and are aged 60 or over, or disabled, you can have a free bus pass which entitles you to free local bus travel across England. If you are disabled, you can buy tokens for use in local taxis or Dial-a-Ride buses as an alternative to the national bus pass.

Your bus pass is valid for free off-peak travel on local buses anywhere in England. Off-peak travel starts officially at 9.30am Monday to Friday, but in Buckinghamshire, your pass is valid from 9am.

Local buses are those run by operators to a published timetable that you can use without advance booking.

You can download a leaflet about the scheme and an application form below.

Who is eligible for travel concessions?

Only certain groups of people are eligible for travel concessions and these are listed below:

• Up to 5th April 2010, those who have reached the age of 60
• From 6th April 2010 onwards, those who are of pensionable age*

and/or

Those who have one or more of the following disabilities, for which a medical certificate or registration document may be required:

• Blind or partially sighted
• Profoundly or severely deaf
• Without speech
• Has a disability or has suffered an injury which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his/her 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 disorder which affects a person's ability to take in, remember, understand and express information, and which may make it difficult for that person to read, write, spell or solve problems
• Has been refused a driving licence because of physical incapacity (does not include refusal on grounds of drug or alcohol misuse)

IMPORTANT - Changes to eligibility with effect from April 2010

If you are already aged 60 or over, you will be unaffected by the changes. From 6 April 2010 however, the age of eligibility for concessionary travel for women will be changing.

For women, it will pension age and for men it will be the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day (rather than an automatice eligibility at age 60).

The age of eligibility for the state pension is scheduled to rise by two months every one month. This means the earliest date on which you can get your bus pass will depend on the month in which you were born and will not necessarily fall on your birthday.

For more information, please download the changes to eligibility below.

Blind person's and companion passes

The blind person's pass entitles you to free bus travel in the county. Companion passes are available for people who need to travel as the companion of a blind or severely disabled person who is unable to travel on public transport without help. A small charge is made for these. Please ring us on 01494 421 232 if you have any queries about blind or companion passes.

Tokens - an alternative to the bus pass

If you are disabled, you can buy tokens for use in local taxis or Dial-a-Ride buses as an alternative to the national bus pass. For an annual fee of £10, you can buy £70 worth of tokens. These tokens may be used on local buses or taxis, on the Dial-a-Ride buses or on national rail networks.

How to apply for a bus pass or tokens

If you are eligible for a bus pass, you can apply in person at the council offices, or post your application form to us. If you are applying for a bus pass, you will need to attach a small recent photograph of yourself (about 1½" x 1" in size). The application form is available below, or you can complete one at the reception desk.

You can apply for tokens in person at the Wycombe Tourist Information Centre or either of the Area Information Offices in Princes Risborough or Marlow

If you are aged under 60 and applying for a pass or tokens for disability reasons, you may need to have the form certified by your doctor, nurse or health visitor.

Lost passes or tokens

You should report the loss of your bus pass to the council as soon as possible. If the pass is not found, a replacement will be issued after seven days and a small charge of £2 made to cover administration costs.

Please note that we are unable to accept cash at the Council Offices, and if you choose to pay be credit card, an additional fee will be payable. No replacement can be given for lost tokens.

When and where you can travel using your bus pass or tokens

Bus passes are valid for off-peak travel on local buses anywhere in England. Off-peak travel starts officially at 9.30am Monday to Friday, but in Buckinghamshire, your pass is valid from 9am.

Tokens purchased may be used on Dial-a-Ride buses or local taxis but you are advised to check with the driver first to make sure he/she will accept tokens as payment.