Greater London Authority Act 1999

Section 241.

SCHEDULE 16 The free travel scheme

Concessions required for blind persons

1 In any financial year during which the free travel scheme has effect, the concession required by the scheme in the case of all eligible London residents in the blind persons' category is the waiver, on production of a travel concession permit issued to any such resident under paragraph 4(2) below, of any fare otherwise payable by the person to whom it was issued for any journey falling within section 242(2) of this Act.

Concessions required for other eligible London residents

2 (1) In any financial year during which the free travel scheme has effect, the concession required by the scheme in the case of all eligible London residents in any other category (persons who have attained pensionable age or whose ability to walk is seriously impaired) is the concession described in sub-paragraph (2) below.

(2) The concession mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above is the waiver, on production of a travel concession permit issued to any such resident under paragraph 4(2) below, of any fare otherwise payable by the person to whom it was issued for any journey falling within section 242(2) of this Act and beginning—

(a) at any time on a Saturday or Sunday or on any day which is a bank holiday in England and Wales under the [1971 c. 80.] Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971; or

(b) in an eligible period on any other day.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, for the purposes of paragraph (b) of sub-paragraph (2) above the eligible periods are—

(a) the period from midnight to 4.30 a.m; and

(b) the period from 9 a.m. to midnight.

(4) The periods which are eligible periods for the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)(b) above may be altered from time to time by Transport for London by notice published in such manner as it thinks fit, specifying the new period or periods and the effective date of the alteration.

(5) A notice under sub-paragraph (4) above may not specify an effective date for the alteration of a period to which it applies falling earlier than three months after the date of publication of the notice.

(6) Before publishing a notice under sub-paragraph (4) above Transport for London shall consult each London authority and the London Transport Users' Committee.

Notification

3 As soon as it appears to Transport for London that the free travel scheme will have effect during the next financial year, Transport for London shall notify each London authority that the scheme will have effect during that financial year.

Issue of permits

4 (1) For the purposes of the operation of the free travel scheme in any financial year during which the scheme has effect, Transport for London shall from time to time supply to each London authority such travel concession permits as appear to Transport for London to be required by that council for issue to eligible London residents in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, a London authority shall issue a travel concession permit supplied by Transport for London under sub-paragraph (1) above to any eligible London resident who applies for one and is resident in the area of that authority.

(3) The issue of such a permit by any London authority shall be subject to such terms, limitations or conditions as the authority may, with the approval of the Mayor, from time to time determine as respects any category of eligible London residents.

Charges made for permits

5 (1) Before 1st February in any financial year (referred to in this paragraph as the “current financial year”) immediately preceding a financial year during which the free travel scheme will have effect, Transport for London shall notify each London authority of the charge to be paid by the authority to Transport for London—

(a) for each quarter of the financial year during which the free travel scheme will have effect;

(b) in respect of each travel concession permit issued under paragraph 4(2) above and valid on the first day of that quarter.

(2) The charges payable by London authorities under this paragraph—

(a) shall be fixed by Transport for London with a view to securing that the costs of the operation of the free travel scheme are met from the proceeds of those charges (taking one financial year during which the scheme has effect with another, where the scheme has effect during two or more consecutive financial years); and

(b) may differ for different quarters of a financial year.

(3) The reference in sub-paragraph (2)(a) above to the costs of the operation of the free travel scheme is a reference, in relation to any financial year taken into account in fixing any charges under that sub-paragraph, to the aggregate of the amounts specified in sub-paragraph (4) below.

(4) Those amounts are—

(a) the revenue by way of fares which Transport for London estimates that it and any of its subsidiaries have lost or will lose in that year in consequence of the provision of free travel under the scheme; and

(b) any other costs which Transport for London has incurred or estimates that it will incur in that year in connection with providing, or for the purpose of securing the provision of, free travel under the scheme (including any payments Transport for London has made or proposes to make for that purpose to any person with whom they have entered into an agreement by virtue of section 156(2) or (3) of this Act or who has entered into a transport subsidiary’s agreement).

(5) In fixing the charges payable by London authorities under this paragraph Transport for London shall take into account—

(a) the sum applicable by virtue of sub-paragraph (6) below; and

(b) the matters specified in sub-paragraph (7) below.

(6) The sum applicable by virtue of this sub-paragraph is—

(a) where the free travel scheme does not have effect during the current financial year, a sum equivalent to the total of the costs agreed to be reimbursed by local authorities during the current financial year under arrangements made by virtue of section 240(1) of this Act; or

(b) where the free travel scheme has effect during the current financial year, a sum equivalent to the charges payable by London authorities under this paragraph in respect of the current financial year.

(7) The matters specified in this sub-paragraph are—

(a) the coming into operation of a service falling within section 242(3) of this Act, or the variation or discontinuance of such a service,

(b) changes in the fares payable in respect of any such service, and

(c) changes in the methods or information available to Transport for London for calculating the amounts specified in sub-paragraph (4) above,

since costs were last agreed to be reimbursed by local authorities under arrangements made by virtue of section 240(1) of this Act or, if more recent, since charges payable under this paragraph were last fixed.

Payments by London authorities

6 (1) Before the end of the first month of each quarter of each financial year during which the free travel scheme has effect, each London authority shall—

(a) pay to Transport for London, in respect of each travel concession permit issued by that authority and valid on the first day of that quarter, the charge fixed by Transport for London under paragraph 5 above which is applicable to that permit for that quarter;

(b) provide Transport for London with a written statement giving the particulars required by sub-paragraph (2) below with respect to the travel concession permits supplied to the authority by Transport for London under paragraph 4(1) above; and

(c) if required to do so by Transport for London, return to Transport for London all such permits which have not been issued by the authority before the beginning of that quarter.

(2) The particulars required by this sub-paragraph in any statement under sub-paragraph (1)(b) above with respect to any quarter of the financial year in question are—

(a) the number of travel concession permits supplied to the authority by Transport for London under paragraph 4(1) above and issued to eligible London residents of each category which are valid on the first day of that quarter;

(b) the number of such permits so issued (if any) which expired or were surrendered to the authority during the last preceding quarter; and

(c) the number of such permits supplied for issue to eligible London residents of each category which have not been issued by the authority before the beginning of the quarter for which the statement is required.

Local authority’s opinion of disability or injury

7 For the purposes of the operation of the free travel scheme, the reference in section 240(5)(c) of this Act to the local authority by whom the cost incurred in granting concessions to a person falls to be reimbursed shall be taken as a reference to the local authority in whose area the person in question resides.

Annual report of Transport for London

8 With respect to each financial year during which the free travel scheme has effect, the annual report of Transport for London under section 161 of this Act shall contain a statement of—

(a) the manner in which the charges fixed under paragraph 5 above in respect of each quarter of that year were calculated; and

(b) the aggregate of the amounts paid to Transport for London during that year by London authorities under paragraph 6(1)(a) above.