Disabled bus pass holders to regain all-day weekday free travel across Hampshire

Disabled bus pass holders in Hampshire will once again be able to travel free on local buses at any time on weekdays from April 2027 after the government changed the national concessionary travel scheme.

Hampshire County Council has confirmed it will restore all-day weekday travel for disabled pass holders from April 1, 2027, bringing the county’s scheme into line with new national rules.

This affects those in the county which live outside Portsmouth and Southampton, with the city councils managing those schemes.

The move follows a government announcement this summer to make all-day weekday travel for disabled pass holders a statutory entitlement from April 2027. The confirmation came in response to a question from Cllr Paula Ferguson at a full council meeting on October 1.

Although the question was not answered during the meeting because of time constraints, the authority later confirmed it would amend its concessionary travel scheme.

The council said the change would allow disabled bus pass holders to travel free “at any time” on local bus services from April 1, 2027.

The decision marks a partial reversal of controversial changes introduced in April 2025, when the county council withdrew two discretionary concessions as part of wider budget-saving measures.

It ended free weekday travel before 9.30am and after 11pm for disabled pass holders and scrapped the companion pass, which allowed carers to travel free with disabled passengers unable to use buses independently.

The cuts prompted a campaign by disabled residents, campaigners and opposition councillors.

They argued the changes would make it harder for people to get to work, attend medical appointments, access education and carry out voluntary work.

More than 2,000 people signed a petition calling on the council to reverse the decision.

At the time, Hampshire County Council said it would reconsider the changes if the Department for Transport introduced all-day weekday travel or a companion pass as part of the national concessionary travel scheme.

However, there has been no indication that the companion pass will also be restored. The scheme remains outside the national concessionary travel programme.

In Portsmouth holders of disabled persons and companion bus passes can travel for free every day.

Those with an older person’s bus pass can travel for free on local buses between 9am - 2am (weekdays), at weekends, and can travel early travel (before 9am) with proof of a medical appointment at Queen Alexandra Hospital or St Mary’s Community Health Campus.