From 1 April 2011, if you are unable to use a public bus due to a disability, you may be eligible to apply for national travel tokens (also known as 'taxi tokens'). These can be used in some hackney carriage and private-hire vehicles, and on some community transport scheme (e.g., Dial-A-Bus).

To qualify for tokens, you must:

· have a permanent disability which prevents you from using public bus services;

· obtain supporting evidence of your disability from your GP; and

· be a permanent resident of Christchurch or East Dorset

Before you use travel tokens, you must first check with the taxi driver or hackney carriage private-hire firm that they will accept them.

Applications for tokens can be made at any time throughout the year, and are awarded with an equivalent value of £40 per year. For applications made between April to June, the equivalent will be £40 of tokens. For applications made after June, the values are as follows:

Applications made in:

· July to September - £30

· October to December -£20

· January to March - £10

 To apply please complete and return the  Travel Tokens Application Form (pdf, 71kb) (opens in a new window)  or you can apply in person to the Council area you live in.

• Name: Concessionary Travel (Christchurch)
  Email: customerservices@christchurch.gov.uk
  Tel: 01202 495000
  Full details for Concessionary Travel (Christchurch)
• Name: Bus passes and travel tokens (East Dorset)
  Email: exchequer@eastdorset.gov.uk
  Tel: 01202 886201 Ext. 2310
  Fax: 01202 841390
  Full details for Bus passes and travel tokens (East Dorset)