These Terms and Conditions, published by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council), relate to the use of English National Concessionary Fares Scheme (ENCTS) Bus Passes issued by BCP Council to persons qualifying on the grounds of age and younger people qualifying due to a disability.
1. Use on the bus
1.1 The BCP Council concessionary fares bus pass is valid for travel from 9:30am to 11pm Monday to Friday and any time (meaning no time restrictions) at weekends and on Bank Holidays.
1.2 The pass is valid for use on the majority of local bus services in England including London.
The following service types are likely to be excluded:
- services on which the majority of seats can be reserved in advance of travel (such as coaches)
- services that are intended to run for a period of less than 6 consecutive weeks
- services operated primarily for the purposes of tourism or because of the historical interest of the vehicle
- bus substitution (rail replacement) services
- services where the fare charged by the operator has a special amenity element
1.3 A concessionary fares bus pass must only be used by the cardholder named on the front of the pass and must not be used by anyone else.
1.4 Where ‘smartcard readers’ are active, pass holders will be required to place their pass on the reader to record the journey.
1.5 Where smartcard readers are not active a valid pass must be shown to the driver.
1.6 Failure to scan a bus pass on a smartcard reader or to show the bus pass to the driver will result in the appropriate full (standard) fare being charged.
1.7 Cards which are not valid for travel will be retained by the driver and will result in the appropriate full (standard) fare being charged. Cards will not be valid for use if they are expired, damaged, stolen, defaced, or ‘hotlisted’ due to them previously being reported as lost or stolen or where a change of details of the holder has not been conveyed by the pass holder to BCP Council.
1.8 To prevent fraudulent use of bus passes, concessionary passengers will be required to show their pass and confirm their identity if requested to do so by the bus driver, a bus company representative, a BCP Council authorised representative or a Police Officer.
1.9 BCP Council will not normally refund any bus fares paid.
2. Care of your bus pass
2.1 A Lost or Damaged pass can be replaced at a cost of £12 by telephoning the concessionary fares customer services telephone no. 01202 123700 and paying by credit or debit card over the phone or applying on-line.
2.2 It is the responsibility of the holder to look after their bus pass. Damage to the pass may result in the microchip (which is embedded into the pass) failing and preventing it from scanning on the smart-card reader. You may be advised to contact BCP Council to replace a damaged bus pass (£12 fee applies). Examples of damage include: split, cracked, scratched, faded, dented, defaced or where a hole has been made in the pass.
2.3 A stolen pass may be replaced free of charge where the crime has been reported to the police and a police crime report number has been obtained.
3. General conditions
3.1 The pass remains the property of BCP Council and is not transferable.
3.2 Passes are valid until the expiry date printed on the pass or until a time determined by BCP Council. It is possible for the pass to become invalid for use if it is badly damaged, defaced or if there has been a change in personal details which have not been notified to the Concessionary Fares Office.
3.3 Time expired bus passes will be replaced free of charge for qualifying persons. This will normally be automatic for residents who have not changed address in the previous 5 years or have notified the Concessionary Fares Office of any changes; have supplied any additional information requested by the Concessionary Fares Office (including updated evidence of disability where relevant); and have been using their previously issued bus pass. Renewal will not be automatic if our records show that the previous bus pass has not been in use in the 12 months prior to renewal.
3.4 If a pass holder does not inform us about a change of address and a replacement pass is sent to a previous address and returned to us, it will be retained for three months. If the pass is not claimed within that time it will be destroyed and any request for a new pass will be chargeable as if the pass were lost. This also applies where passes go to a previous address and are not returned. Requests for a new pass made more than three months after a replacement was sent to a previous or current address will be treated as a lost pass and will be chargeable.
3.5 Where a disabled person becomes eligible based on age, then an ‘older’ person’s bus pass will be issued to those disabled people who previously have been in receipt of the ‘standard’ disabled person’s bus pass.
3.6 The pass should be returned to Concessionary Fares, BCP Council, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY if the holder is no longer eligible which includes where they: have a change of circumstances which mean the pass holder is no longer eligible;have moved out of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; no longer requires it or the pass holder has been requested in writing by BCP Council to return the bus pass because fraudulent use has been detected.
3.7 A bus pass holder will be carried as per the conditions of carriage of the bus company on whose services they are travelling. The pass confers no rights upon the holder other than those of a fare paying passenger.
3.8 Fraudulent use of this pass may result in its withdrawal and could lead to prosecution.
3.9 A bus pass holder can only have one bus pass from one Travel Concession Authority.
3.10 A bus pass will only be issued to an eligible person whose sole or principal residence is in BCP Councils administrative boundary.
3.11 BCP Council reserves the right to suspend the use of, or withdraw a pass from use, if it is suspected it is being used fraudulently, if it has been issued in error or it is no longer valid for use.
3.12 A person will not be eligible for a bus pass if their main residency is outside of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
3.13 Where a parent or carer is applying for a disabled person’s bus pass for a child, the child will only be eligible if they have reached the age of being a fare paying passenger.
3.14 BCP Council will not normally meet any costs incurred to provide medical evidence in support of a disabled person’s bus pass application or renewal.
4. Additional Local Concession - "Plus Companion"
4.1 A bus pass displaying the “C+” logo means that the bus pass holder has provided evidence that they are medically unfit to travel on the bus on their own and require the help and support of a carer. The carer will be able to travel free of charge when accompanying the bus pass holder to board a bus in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
4.2 When boarding a bus outside of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole the companion would be required to pay a full fare for the journey.
4.3 The companion is not permitted to use the bus pass unless it is for the purpose of accompanying the pass holder. Where a pass holder is accompanied on the bus to be ‘dropped off’ at a particular location, then the carer is not eligible to use the bus holder’s bus pass for the return journey and would have to pay the relevant fare for the bus journey.
4.4 A companion cannot travel free of charge without the pass holder and are not entitled to hold their own bus pass unless they are eligible for a pass in their own right.
4.5 Whilst Plus Companion passes are only issued where pass holders have provided evidence that they are medically unfit to travel by bus on their own, BCP Council understands that they may be able to undertake a small number of journeys unaided. A Updated March 2024 C+ pass holder does not therefore have to travel with a companion where they can safely make the journey alone.
4.6 It is the responsibility of the Companion Pass holder to inform BCP Council if their circumstances change and they no longer require the help and support of a companion for any bus journeys undertaken.
5. Additional Local Concession - ‘All Day Local’ and ‘All Day Local Plus Companion’
5.1 An ‘all day local’ concessionary fares bus pass is a local discretionary enhancement and is issued only to those disabled people who are visually impaired.
5.2 The ‘all day local’ bus pass will be issued as a disabled person’s bus pass with the additional wording of ‘all day local’ on the front right hand side of the bus pass indicating that the holder can travel at any time with no time restrictions on valid services.
5.3 In other areas outside of the Travel Concession Authority area of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the pass will revert to the ‘National Standard’ pass.
5.4 The ‘all day local’ bus pass will only be issued to those disabled persons who are in receipt of a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) or have been registered with BCP Council Social Services Disabled Registration Services as sight impaired.
5.5 Where a person has an ‘all day local with plus companion’ then the terms relating to ‘Additional Local Concession of plus companion’ above will apply in addition to the ‘all day local’ anytime use.