Concessionary fares

Allerdale Borough Council would like to remind the borough’s
residents qualifying for concessionary travel of the New
National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme which will be
introduced on 1st April 2008.
From April 2008, if you are aged 60 or over,
or have certain disabilities, you are entitled to free
off-peak bus travel on local bus services – anywhere in
England.
Additionally, Allerdale has
decided to extend the scheme to offer its residents free
bus travel at anytime, throughout the county of Cumbria
and where applicable, companions of disabled cardholders may travel
too.
What do residents of Allerdale need to
do?
If you are an existing NoWcard holder, your
new card should have been issued to you before the end of March.
You need not do anything more unless you have received instructions
directly from NoWcard with a new application form and have still
not returned it.
If you are eligible for a bus pass and have
not had one before, you need to:
- Complete an application form
- Supply 1 recent passport size photograph (full face / no
hat)
- your age (pension book, birth certificate, passport)
- your residential address (Council Tax bill, ‘phone or gas
bill)
- if you are applying for a disabled pass we also need
documentary evidence of your registered disability.
You can collect a form from any of our
customer service centres or telephone for help: 01900 702702
Allerdale will continue to offer alternative
concessions. If preferred, eligible residents may choose a rail
card or travel tokens where applicable, instead of the national bus
pass.
At the start of the new financial year you may
choose to change the type of concession you have previously
received (where applicable).
E.g. change your bus pass to a railcard.
You will need to hand in your existing card at
the time of exchange.
How your travel concessions may be used
- Registered local bus services operated by Stagecoach or other
operators will accept national bus pass and tokens.
- Northern Rail will accept rail cards for travel by train and
allow up to 1/3 off most fares. In addition, residents may use
tokens towards the issue of a rail card or fare.
- Taxis – some taxi firms will accept tokens. Residents should
check with the firm before booking.
Distribution of the national bus
pass will be directly to applicants through the
post.
Replacement cards will be available at a charge of £10.00
Alternative concessions and national bus pass
application forms for the new financial year, will be available for
you to collect at our council offices from Tuesday 25 March
2008.
When and where you may collect your concessions and application
forms
Council offices opening hours:
|
Workington
Town Hall
|
Workington
Finkle Street
|
Cockermouth
Fairfield
|
Keswick
Main Road
|
Maryport
Senhouse Street
|
Wigton
King Street
|
|
Mon – Thur
08:45 – 17:00
Friday
08:45 – 16:30
|
Mon – Thur
08:45 – 17:15
Friday
08:45 – 16:45
|
Mon – Thur
08:45 – 17:15
Friday
08:45 – 16:45
|
Mon – Thur
08:45 – 17:15
Friday
08:45 – 16:45
|
Mon – Thur
08:45 – 17:15
Friday
08:45 – 16:45
|
Mon – Thur
08:45 – 17:15
Friday
08:45 – 16:45
|
Any resident who has a problem getting to their local council
office can contact Allerdale Borough Council on 01900
702929 for help.
The criteria for entitlement
The normal concession will be either a Bus Pass or a Railcard.
Residents as listed in the token information below can choose
tokens as an alternative. Only one concession per person is allowed
in any year.
Tokens
- Men and Women aged 60 &
over who live in the Parishes of:-
Aikton, Bewaldeth & Snittlegarth,
Blindbothel, Boltons, Bowness, Borrowdale, Buttermere,
Gilcrux, Holme East Waver, Ireby & Uldale, Kirkbampton,
Kirkbride, Lorton, Loweswater, Sebergham, Thursby, Westnewton,
Westward, St Johns, Castlerigg & Wythburn
- Disabled Residents
- Persons who have been refused a driving license
on medical grounds
- Persons who were supplied with a letter of
entitlement in previous years
Proof of age or disability and proof
of residency must always be supplied.
Senior Railcards
We cannot issue Railcards to disabled residents. Individuals
should be advised to apply directly to their nearest station for
details of Disabled Persons railcards
Proof of age and proof of residency
must always be supplied.
National Bus Passes
- Issued to Men and Women aged 60 and over
- Disabled Residents.
Proof of age or disability and
proof of residency must always be supplied.
Proof of eligibility
This will normally be a letter from the DSS,
birth certificate or passport.
Proof of residence should be Council Tax bill or utilities bill
(gas, electricity etc.)
Disabled applicants should provide proof of entitlement in the
form of allowance payments Books or written documentation from DSS
confirming their disability.
Letters of confirmation of eligibility can
be supplied on receipt of a letter from an NHS Representative.
Criteria for Disabled applicants:
Sight – Blind or Partially
Sighted:
You will need a copy of the ‘BD8’ or ‘CVI’
certification form issued to you by the local Hospital, or your
card issued by your local Social Care Team or,
Evidence of your registration as a Blind or
Partially Sighted person would be equally acceptable.
Profoundly or Severly
Deaf:
You will need a brief letter confirming
your condition from a specialist agency or charity providing
services for deaf people or,
Confirmation in writing from Social Care
Team that you are included on their Deaf Register or,
A letter from an audiology specialist
confirming that hearing loss has been recorded at 70 dBHL or worse
or,
Confirmation in writing from your General
Practitioner that you have a severe or profound hearing
difficulty.
Without Speech:
You will need a brief letter confirming
your condition from a specialist agency or charity providing
relevant services or,
Confirmation from a General Practitioner
that you would be unable to make clear basic spoken requests – in
any spoken language – such as asking for a particular fare or
checking bus routes with the driver.
An inability to speak English or speech,
which is excessively slow or distorted due to a heavy accent or a
stammer, would not qualify.
Learning Disability:
You will need confirmation in writing from
Social Care Team that you are included on their database as a
person who receives – or who has in the past received – services
for those with a learning disability, for example, you may be
attending a Day Centre for persons with a learning disability
or,
Confirmation in writing from the local
Health Authority or your General Practitioner that you are included
on their database as a person who receives – or who has in the past
received – services for those with a learning disability or,
A letter from your General Practitioner,
confirming that your learning disability can be defined as being
sufficiently severe as to warrant access to services for people
with a learning disability provided by the above agencies should
you wish to apply to them.
Loss of Arms:
You will need confirmation in writing from
your General Practitioner that you have lost the use of both
arms.
Mobility:
You will need documentary evidence that you
are currently in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
mobility component at the Higher Rate would be sufficient evidence
or,
Conformation that you receive the War
Pensioners mobility supplement would be equally acceptable or,
A letter from your General Practitioner
confirming that your condition has a substantial and long-term
adverse effect on your ability to walk would be accepted as
confirmation of your condition.
Driving:
You will need a letter from the DVLA
refusing to accept your application for a driving licence because
you are not deemed by them to be physically fit to drive or,
Confirmation from your General Practitioner
that you suffer from epilepsy, that you have had an attack during
the past year and that one or more of your attack(s) have occurred
other than when you were asleep or,
Confirmation from your General Practitioner
that you are liable to sudden attack of giddiness or fainting,
other than insulin dependent diabetic where disabling hypoglycaemia
is considered to be controllable or,
Confirmation from your General
Practitioner, or the local Health Authority, or your local Social
Services office, that you have a severe mental disorder and are
under long-term medication sufficiently strong as to make you a
source of danger to the public if you were to drive.
Note – Anyone who has been refused
a driving licence through a persistent misuse or drugs or alcohol
does not qualify for a travel pass.