Ministers are facing fresh pressure to fix what critics are calling an “unacceptable” gap in free bus travel that sees people in the North East wait six years longer than Londoners for the same benefit.
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00:00Ministers are facing fresh pressure to fix what critics are calling an unacceptable gap in free
00:05bus travel that saves people in the North East to wait six years longer than London has for the
00:10same benefit. Under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme or the ENCTS,
00:16free bus passes are available to anyone who reaches the state pension age, which currently
00:22sits at the age of 66. But if you live in London, a 60 plus Oyster card lets you travel for free on
00:27buses and the tube from the age of 60. And it's not just the capital, Scotland, Wales and Northern
00:34Ireland all offer similar travel perks from age 62. In contrast, residents in the North East and
00:40other regions in England must wait until they're 66, a gap that Newcastle City Council says is deeply
00:47unfair. This week, the council passed a motion calling on Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander
00:53to extend the ENCTS to include everyone over the age of 60 across England. Independent councillor
01:00Mark Donnelly, who brought the motion forward, didn't hold back. He said,
01:05we're meant to be one United Kingdom. If anyone tried raising London's age limit from 60 to 66,
01:11there'd be an outrage. So why are Geordies expected to put up with it? He also said that the current
01:16system treats the North East as a second thought and called on the government to deliver fairness across
01:22all regions. In response, a Department for Transport spokesperson said they recognise how important
01:28bus passes are for people keeping connected and accessing essential services. They highlighted recent
01:35reforms, including the £3 CAF on single bus fares, which has now been extended to March 2027.
01:42But for many in the North East, that's not enough.