Ministers might make concession to districts

18 June 2008

The Government is considering transferring concessionary travel functions from district to county councils.

Responding to a transport select committee report on concessionary travel, it conceded that benefits might ‘flow from moving the administration to counties’.

The committee had recommended that ministers transfer travel concession functions ‘as soon as possible’, because the transport authority and travel concession authority were not the same body, ‘and may inadvertently work against each other’.

These problems could be addressed if the Government exercised its powers under Section nine of the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, the MPs said.

The Government said it would consult on the issue later this year, but it refused to increase funding. It confirmed it had no current plans to agree a programme of smartcard installation, or to compel bus operators to install smartcard readers on their buses. But in its recent Bus Service Operators’ Grant consultation, it outlined proposals to incentivise technological improvements such as the use of smartcards.

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