Summary and Background
3.Provision for travel concessions is contained in the Transport Act 1985 (“the 1985 Act”), Greater London Authority Act 1999 (“the 1999 Act”) and Transport Act 2000 (“the 2000 Act”). Local authorities in England and Wales must arrange for elderly and disabled people living in their area to receive a half-fare concession on local bus services subject to the person obtaining a bus permit, which must be given free of charge. Those local authorities also have discretion to offer further concessions on bus and other public passenger transport services if they wish.
4.Previous legislation, however, linked the entitlement of elderly people to travel concessions to pensionable age as defined in the Pensions Act 1995, that is 60 for women but 65 for men. Schedule 4 to the Pensions Act 1995 provides for pensionable age to be equalised at 65 for both men and women by 2020, with transitional arrangements from 2010. The purpose of the Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Act is to equalise the age at which men and women become entitled to travel concessions at an earlier date.