Labour government mandates 24-hour free bus travel for disabled passengers in England
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announces expansion of disabled bus passes to cover all hours from April, drawing criticism over funding sustainability from opposition parties.
The UK government has confirmed that disabled bus pass holders in England will be granted free travel at all hours starting in April next year. The policy change eliminates current restrictions that limit free travel to weekdays between 9:30am and 11pm, a move Prime Minister Andy Burnham described as necessary to address barriers faced by disabled citizens.
The expansion is funded by £60m sourced from existing departmental budgets, with £40m allocated from the Department for Work and Pensions and £20m from the Department for Transport. The funding does not represent new expenditure but rather a reallocation of resources within the government’s existing fiscal framework.
Burnham, who is currently visiting a bus station in the West Midlands, stated that it was “simply not right that many disabled people cannot travel using their pass during certain times of the day.” The Prime Minister framed the initiative as part of his broader strategy to reduce the cost of living for households across England.
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon welcomed the announcement, noting that he had campaigned for the change for nearly two years. “Disabilities don’t start at 9 o’clock, neither should disabled bus passes and soon enough they won’t,” Gordon said, describing the policy as a significant victory for the disabled community.
The decision follows a precedent set in Greater Manchester, where Burnham, as mayor, previously extended free travel hours earlier this year. Since taking office in July, the Labour government has introduced several measures aimed at alleviating financial pressure, including capping bus fares at £2 and scrapping VAT on electricity bills.
However, the funding mechanism has drawn sharp criticism from the Conservative party. A Conservative spokesperson dismissed the move as “simply the shuffling around of existing departmental budgets,” urging Burnham to clarify how he intends to fund his expanding list of policies while adhering to Labour’s fiscal rules.
The government faces ongoing scrutiny regarding the sustainability of its spending plans, particularly given its commitments to boost defence spending and infrastructure investment. Questions remain about the specific implementation details and the long-term impact of these budget reallocations on local authority services.
