Concessionary Travel

Havant Borough Council issues a travel concession to qualifying residents. This entitles eligible persons to a free off-peak bus pass which allows free bus travel providing journeys start between 9.30 am and 11 pm on a weekday, or any time on weekends and on public holidays. You are able to make free journeys by local buses (excluding express coaches, shuttles, dial-a-ride, special tourist services or community transport) anywhere in England.

 

The Pass is a plastic, credit card sized 'Smartcard'.

 

Senior rail cards are available as an alternative concession for all new applications or upon renewal of residents’ existing concessions. 

 

Further information and application forms can be obtained by telephoning (023) 9244 6012 or e-mailing: customer.services@havant.gov.uk.

 

 

 

Concessionary Travel is available to residents of the Borough who are above the pensionable age for women (whether they are men or women). Due to changes in retirement age legislation, this age is moving upwards at the rate of two months for every one month of age. There is a ready reckoner available on DirectGov but please note that in order to calculate your eligibility age, you should enter your gender as 'female' into the calculator even if you are male (because the concession age works on the female retirement age, which is now being realigned with the male retirement age in response to a European Court of Human Rights judgement). 

 

It is also available to people with disabilities. Applicants should be over 5 years of age and be a holder of the yellow Social Services Registration Card or in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance.

 

 

 

You must complete an application form, which you can get from the Main Reception of the Civic Offices, or by telephoning (023) 9244 6012 or e-mailing: customer.services@havant.gov.uk.

 

 

 

To process your application, we need proof of age / disability and residence, for example:

The bus pass application also needs a recent passport-sized photograph of yourself. There is now a photo booth for public use in the Civic Offices, which provides five photographs for £5.00.

 

 

 

At any time during the year by completing an application form, which you can obtain from the Main Reception of the Civic Offices, or by telephoning (023) 9244 6012 or e-mailing: customer.services@havant.gov.uk.

 

 

 

The pass is issued for free. The pass is sent to you from our supplier by post.

 

 

 

A replacement will be provided on receipt of a new photograph and a £10.00 fee. This can either be brought into the Main Reception at the Civic Offices, or sent by post, along with a letter to request a new pass, to:

 

 

 

 

As an ALTERNATIVE to the free off-peak bus pass, people with an age-related concession (see above for eligibility) can apply to Havant Borough Council for a Senior Railcard.  We will issue you with an application form and a voucher to collect your pass at a railway station. Please complete both the form and the voucher before you visit the railway station, to save time for other passengers wishing to buy tickets.

 

National Express operates a 'routesixty' discount card and concessionary fares for disabled people are available on a range of their coach services. There are also schemes to help with travel to hospital and to work. The County Council's web site has a lot of useful information about these concessions, as well as onward links to online application forms and leaflets.

 

 

 

This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on your concessionary travel form for the prevention and detection of fraud.  It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

 

For further information on sharing data please click here >> or contact Janice Newman on 023 9244 6040.

 

 

 

The concessionary pass is not valid for travel before 9.30 am on Mondays to Fridays. If you need to travel before this time, you will need to pay the full fare. However if you know you will be returning after 9.30 am , then just get a single fare, since the journey back will be covered by your pass.

 

Some people have said that that they can't use their pass if they need to get to an early Hospital appointment. Although Hospitals tend to offer 9.30 am appointments without asking you, what many people don't know is that you do not have to accept this time, and can ask for an appointment later in the day when you can make the journey to Hospital free, using your pass. To save yourself money, please make use of this little known facility. Alternatively, the hospital can arrange transport for you.

 

 

 

From 1st April 2011, the management of the concessionary travel scheme is passing from district and borough councils, to the County Council. This means that from next April, instead of there being different schemes across the eleven district and borough councils across Hampshire, there will be one standardised scheme operating Hampshire-wide. Since each district council operates a slightly different scheme, this means that from April those different schemes - including ours - will change and be combined into one standard scheme with the same operational hours and enhancements.

 

Hampshire County Council is currently consulting on the changes that will need to be introduced. The consultation is available through this link and runs until the 31st August 2010.