On 1 April 2011, travel concessions for older people and disabled people in Dorset became the responsibility of Dorset County Council.

The district and borough councils will continue to process applications and answer queries on concessionary travel on behalf of the county council until March 2013.

In December and January, the county council consulted with older and disabled residents about how changes to concessionary travel could affect them. A total of 3,764 people returned the questionnaires provided. A summary of the results of the consultation is available on the right of the page under related downloads.

Are you eligible?

Effective from 6 April 2010, the government have introduced changes to the criteria by which people qualify for a bus pass on the grounds of age.

Essentially, the age of eligibility for women will be pension age and for men it will be the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day.

Or, if you live in England and suffer from one or more of the following disabilities, you may be entitled to England-wide concessionary bus travel: 

• Are blind or partially sighted

• Are profoundly or severely deaf

• Are without speech

• Have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk

• Do not have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms

• Have a learning disability - a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning, or

• Would, if you applied for a licence to drive a motor vehicle under part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have your application refused under section 92 of the act (physical fitness) on grounds other than persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol

• A member or Veteran of the Armed Services who has been seriously injured in service

What does the pass entitle you to?

Since 2006 you have been entitled to free local bus travel in Dorset from 9.30am to 11pm on Monday to Friday and at any time during weekends and public holidays - and this will continue. Since 1 April 2008 you are also entitled to free local bus travel in all other areas of England during these off-peak times.

Dorset County Council in addition to this statutory scheme will also allow all day free travel throughout the week for blind and partially sighted people. The council is offering free travel for companion pass holders from 9.30am to 11pm on weekdays and all day at weekends and public holidays.

Some rural areas of Dorset have less frequent public transport services and with this in mind Dorset County Council is offering pre 9.30am travel as an exception to the scheme where there is no other service or the next available service is 10.30am or later. A full list of services that can be used before 0930 is available on the right of the page under related downloads.

How to apply for a bus pass

If you have not yet applied for an England-wide bus pass, or have only just become eligible, you will need to apply for a pass by complete the  Dorset Concessionary Travel Application Form (pdf, 340kb) (opens in a new window) and return it to your local district or borough council office. As part of the application you'll need to provide proof of either your age or disability, and that you live permanently in your local council's area. You will also need to supply a colour passport size and quality full face photograph of yourself. 

Some district and borough councils are offering additional concessions which are separate from the Dorset Concessionary Bus Pass Scheme.  You can find out more about which additional concessions you may be entitled to on your local district or borough page below.

Preventing fraud

By law, councils have to protect public money. We may share information you provide with those responsible for auditing or administering public money in order to prevent or detect fraud. The council must send data held on concessionary travel passes.

• National bus pass - change in eligibility

  The government has announced that effective from 6 April 2010 it is changing the criteria by which people qualify for a bus pass on grounds of age.

• Christchurch Borough Council - travel concessions

  The Dorset County Council scheme enables free off peak bus travel for eligible Dorset residents between 9.30am to 11pm Monday to Friday, and at weekends and public holidays. In addition, the following concessions are available to permanent residents of Christchurch.

• East Dorset District Council National Bus Pass Scheme

  In addition to the national scheme, residents of East Dorset who are entitled to a free bus pass are also offered two additional concessions over and above the minimum scheme. These additional concessions are all day travel, not limited to off-peak hours, and companion passes. From 1 April 2011, these passes can be used across Dorset, excluding Poole and Bournemouth.

• Purbeck District Council National Bus Pass Scheme

  The national bus pass scheme allows free local bus travel anywhere in England at off peak times (9.30am - 11pm).

• North Dorset District Council National Bus Pass Scheme

  The national bus pass scheme allows free local bus travel anywhere in England at off peak times (9.30am - 11pm). In addition to this residents of North Dorset who are entitled to a free bus pass are allowed free all day bus travel and are not limited to off-peak hours.

• West Dorset District Council National bus pass scheme

  The national bus pass scheme allows free local bus travel anywhere in England at off peak times (9.30am - 11pm). In addition to this residents of West Dorset who are entitled to a free bus pass are allowed free all day bus travel and are not limited to off-peak hours.

• Weymouth and Portland Borough Council National Bus Pass Scheme

  The national bus pass scheme allows free local bus travel anywhere in England at off peak times (9.30am - 11pm).

• Travel Tokens

  If your disability falls within certain criteria then you may apply for travel tokens. This concession is offered by Christchurch Borough Council and East Dorset District Council only.