121.Sections 145 to 150 give elderly and disabled persons (as defined in section 146) entitlement to a half-fare concession on local bus travel within the area of a “travel concession authority” and during the “relevant time” (expressions also defined in section 146). Eligibility is conditional on the holding of a permit issued by the travel concession authority which may make no charge for it (section 145(2)). There is provision enabling the Secretary of State or the NAW, after appropriate consultation, to issue guidance to assist authorities in determining who is a ‘disabled person’ for the purpose of eligibility for a permit (subsections (4) and (5)).
122.Section 147 empowers the Secretary of State or the NAW:
	to extend the eligible categories to other persons eligible to participate in discretionary schemes made under section 93 of the 1985 Act (subsection (7) of that section –now amended by paragraph 15 of Schedule 11 – specifies who they are);
	to extend the qualifying journeys to those on other public passenger transport services and journeys to and from places outside an authority’s area (as defined in section 63(10) of the 1985 Act, a definition applied to this Act by section 162(3);
	to vary the relevant times;
	to improve the concession to better than half the fare.
123.Section 145(6) makes provision whereby a person can opt for an alternative to the statutory minimum concession. If an authority is offering a concession under a scheme made under section 93 of the 1985 Act (a ‘discretionary concession’) which is more attractive to a particular person, he or she may agree not to be entitled to the mandatory concession in order to take up the discretionary concession. For example, a discretionary concession might consist of tokens which can be used on any mode of transport, an arrangement which would be more attractive to a person who finds travel by bus difficult. He or she could agree not to receive the mandatory concession in order to benefit from the discretionary scheme if the scheme so provides. The period during which such agreements are binding may, along with other matters, be prescribed in regulations.
124.Section 148 provides that systematic failure by operators to provide the mandatory concession is an offence, attracting a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000).
125.Sections 149 and 150 make provision for the reimbursement of operators by local authorities, this being based broadly speaking on the present system under the 1985 Act.
Commentary on Sections Part II: Local Transport Sections 145 to 150: Mandatory Travel Concessions outside Greater London