National concession: journeys beginning on London bus network
Section 4: The national concession: journeys beginning on London bus network
23.Section 240 of the 1999 Act enables local authorities (inside London and out) to enter into arrangements under which travel concessions can be offered to certain categories of people and on certain modes of public transport (including the London bus network). If these voluntary arrangements do not fulfil certain criteria (including the provision of the concessions described at section 242(8) of the 1999 Act), then a ‘reserve free travel scheme’ will instead operate (see paragraph 24 below). This section alters section 240 of the 1999 Act to ensure that those resident outside London and holding permits issued by travel concession authorities under the 2000 Act can be recognised as a category of persons eligible under a concessionary scheme set up under arrangements made under that section. It also ensures that London authorities will issue passes only to those whose ‘sole or principal residence’ is in their area and that London authorities must have regard to any guidance on ‘sole or principal residence’ that is issued by the Secretary of State.
Section 5: Reserve free travel scheme and Section 6: Requirements as to scope
24.Section 241 of the 1999 Act provides that if, in the view of Transport for London, voluntary arrangements made between it and local authorities under section 240(1) of that Act do not provide certain minimum travel concessions to eligible London residents, then a ‘reserve free travel scheme’ will come into effect which ensures these concessions and others. The terms of the reserve free travel scheme are contained in Schedule 16 to the 1999 Act. Sections 5 and 6 add to the ‘minimum concessions’ (set out in section 242 of the 1999 Act) which must be secured under the section 240(1) arrangements, so that they include the national concession for all eligible England residents travelling on journeys which begin on the London bus network, whether or not they end on it.(5) The changes also ensure that eligible London residents continue to benefit from the enhanced concessions guaranteed under section 242(8) of the 1999 Act (as it was before it was amended by the Act).
Section 7: Requirements as to uniformity
25.This section amends section 243 of the 1999 Act to include permits issued by travel concession authorities under section 145A(4) of the 2000 Act (i.e. non-London permits) within the requirement in section 243 that enjoyment of the national concession on the London bus network is conditional on showing a permit. The section also confers a power for the Secretary of State to stipulate the form and period of validity of passes issued under section 240(1) arrangements.
That is, journeys on relevant local services not covered by the 2000 Act. Concessions on journeys which cross the boundary of Greater London going out of London (and so which, technically, begin on the London bus network but do not end on it) are catered for, as these journeys are funded by Transport for London as part of the London bus network, and so concessions on them will be funded by London authorities, rather than by the bordering local authorities. Prior to the Act, only those parts of London bus network services that are within Greater London were caught within the 1999 Act concessionary regime.
