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Are buses in Scotland free?

Eligibility. If you live in Scotland and are 5-21 years old you are eligible for a card giving you free bus travel. Children under 5 years old already travel for free on buses and don't need a card.



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2.10 Bus pass holders travel for free. Travel through the national scheme is paid for directly by the Scottish Government. It is a principle of the Scheme that operators should be no better and no worse off as a result of their participation.

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English bus passes are not accepted in Scotland and vice versa. Only passes issued by City of Edinburgh Council work on the trams as they're funded by the council. Other Scottish passes aren't accepted on the trams.

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Scottish ITSO Smartcards Depending on the operator, tickets can be loaded onto your chosen ITSO smartcard at ticket offices, ticket vending machines, on board or in advance online and can be paid for with cash, card or contactless. There are many ITSO smartcard options available to you.

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Where can I travel? Almost everywhere in Scotland and as far as Carlisle and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Your National Entitlement Card gives you free travel throughout Scotland on nearly all local registered and long-distance scheduled bus services.

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The scheme provides free travel on registered local and long-distance bus services throughout Scotland, at any time of day for any number of journeys, for those aged 60 and over, as well as for eligible disabled people who live in Scotland.

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In Scotland, all people with a disability, and those aged 60 and over are entitled to a National Entitlement Card. Depending on people's circumstances, and the region in which they live, this Entitlement Card can give access to a concessionary fare, or free train travel.

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Free Bus Pass In Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, you can get an older person's bus pass when you turn 60. If you live in London, the Freedom Pass will grant you free travel on bus, tram, DLR, and most rail services in London, as well as free local bus travel across England.

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The card gives holders free bus travel in Scotland and, through the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme, reduced fares on trains and Subway in the Strathclyde area. If you live on an island or peninsula within Strathclyde you can also receive reduced ferry fares with a Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Ferry Card.

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Every 5-21 year old living in Scotland for more than 6 months of the year can travel for free by bus if they have a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC). If you are 5-15 years old, your parent or guardian must apply for you.

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Scottish ITSO Smartcards Depending on the operator, tickets can be loaded onto your chosen ITSO smartcard at ticket offices, ticket vending machines, on board or in advance online and can be paid for with cash, card or contactless.

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Bus and coach Perhaps the cheapest method of travel to cover a long distance is by bus or coach. As with the trains, booking ahead on a bus is definitely the best option. Travel between the bigger cities is often very cheap this way, especially by the Megabus.

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Your bus pass is valid for use on all registered Bus services within England, so if you are visiting other places you should be able to use your pass. It is not valid in Wales* or Scotland.

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Where you can use your bus pass. Your National Entitlement Card is your bus pass. It gives you the same rights as a full-fare paying passenger. You can use it to travel in Scotland on almost all local and long-distance bus services.

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The green 'L' symbol is there to indicate that you may be entitled to other concessions in your local area. If you are between the ages of 11-25 you can also apply to have the Young Scot branding on your disabled National Entitlement Card.

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