Disabled Bus Pass

Splashy

 Wow its complicated to get one of these things, had to wait till I got my Blue Badge before I could achieve it as I had no other listed document they required.

 But my question is. 

  Its a Hampshire County Council bus pass but can I use in the rest of England or is it just limited to Hampshire?

 Thanks in advance. 

 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Splashy
I found this, hope it helps

The use of this pass on Community Transport services is an enhancement to the national scheme and is only available to Hampshire residents (excluding Southampton and Portsmouth) for journeys taking place within the county.

Splashy

Hi Sam, 

 That actually is what is really confusing me. I read that on the Hants web site myself but to say I cant use it in Southampton is weird as thats where I want to use it. I can get the No 1 bus to Southampton then cant use my card again unless its the no 1 back to here in Winchester. 

 So is there some other England wide bus pass I can get that I havent discovered yet?

 Its just that some voluntary work im starting is based in Dorset .

 I need to get looking, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. 

steve_noble1

the bus pass can be use uk wide not scotland or wales comunity trasport is diferent thats like dile a ride ect

TheKLF99

The bus pass scheme is confusing and it depends on the county you live in.

I used to live in Warrington and got a bus pass for being autistic, and then moved to Shropshire and went to renew the bus pass - I was told that because I have a driving licence I'm not entitled to a bus pass as I could just drive to where I want to go... the thing is this isn't 100% right because it's like when I went to Oxford recently I had to park the car up on the outside of Oxford and use the bus to get in, thankfully I was able to buy a ticket from the machine and just board the bus with very little communication with the driver but it seems very narrow minded of Shropshire to believe that just because you've passed the driving test you shouldn't be entitled to a bus pass regardless of your disability (the only exception to this rule is if your deaf you can drive and also have a bus pass (??) - but verbal communication barriers don't get counted - added to the difficulty of comprehending some parking signs in town areas and constant stress of whether the car is parked legally, whether I'm going to get a ticket, or whether my car is going to be broken into because I've parked it miles out of town in some dodgy area and walked in just to evade the confusing parking signs, or whether I'm going to get mugged on the way in because I've had to walk through dodgy areas because I'm too stressed to park in the town).

I was offered an alternative to a bus pass which was a disabled persons national rail card, however I pointed out to them that a rail card is no use when I have siderodromaphobia - fear of trains,

Sometimes the disabled bus passes work in different counties but usually it's at the discretion of the county,

Boychris

hi, just read your post, I think if you try this site www.gov.org  you can put in your postcode, it will tell you if a disability bus pass is available.
here in Scotland we have a National Bus pass scheme, I have a driving licence and a car but I am still entitled to a bus pass and I use it a lot, with a carer travelling free with me, and I get to travel all over the place instead of driving, as it makes me tired. give it a try you could be lucky. But I think Oxford is one of those cities who are more money oriented than most so some concessions that should be applied are not.    

mikehughescq

Your pass is England wide. All they are saying is that it is not usually valid for door to door transport like community transport or ring and ride but they have a local enhancement as which means it can be used on the former.

Our local enhancement in GM means it can be used on local trains and trams too.

Nystagmite

it can be used after 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day weekends and bank holidays. But there's time limit when you're in London.

mikehughescq

It’s actually not all day on the weekends. However, most bus companies ignore that and act like it is.

Nystagmite

According to the leaflet that came with my bus pass, it is.

mikehughescq

Then they’re wrong, Here’s the TfGM version. https://www.tfgm.com/tickets-and-passes/passes-for-disabled-people.

Nystagmite

Your link actually says all day over the weekend.

mikehughescq

It does

Perils of Nystagmus

TheKLF99

Boychris - that's a real shame that Scotland has a different policy to Shropshire when it comes to bus passes - about a year ago we were offered a council house in Hawick in Scotland.  I thought the house looked amazing (plus it seems Scotland (and Wales) has much better policies when it comes to looking after disabled people than England), the only down side was all the back gardens had really low fences and when we asked if we could change them mainly because we have a big Labrador dog who would just use them as hurdles we were told it's part of the design plan and they can't be altered, also my mum wasn't too keen on the area and my sister was concerned regarding the hills around.  I thought it was quite fine myself... but anyway.

Splashy

 Thank you for all your replies

Dasiydo

It good idea have bus pass but with cut back in Staffordshire our buses haven't be any good there been rubbish service on 825 bus and No.6 bus even miss bus stop out. I been half deaf and dyspraxia OAP get messily of your bus pass " You not 65 Years old why got at bus pass" "You don't look deaf" "You not disable" 
So becareful of bus pass 

mikehughescq

"You don't look deaf" is outrageous. I have been similarly questioned on my vision. "How come you know it's a 36?" I made an EA 10 discrimination complaint to First Manchester and was advised the driver was removed. I'm quite comfortable with that.

Splashy

"How come you know it's a 36?" 
 
 Probably you asked someone, thats kinda how us humans work, but for some hard of thinking being disabled is a black and white issue, all sight impaired must be totally blind and deaf cant hear a sausage.. well you get my drift. 

 I tried using new tech that could read stuff to me via a camera mounted on my glasses, you just point at an object like an incoming bus etc.. gave up on that much easier to just ask someone as the action freaks people out "aye mate are you pointing at me"  The white stick is still quite a mystery to a lot of people out there who you run into but but at least it gives a visual clue to a invisible disabilty. 

 Ive even been challenged online as to how Im able as a visually impaired person to use a computer.. how do these people even manage to sit the right way round on the toilet and not wear a hat on their **** and knickers on their heads. 

mikehughescq

I use a symbol cane but find the advice on how to use it largely useless and unhelpful. Moving it about as though you're navigating with it appears to be the thing that makes it the most visible but people do appear to largely navigate by expecting others to get out of the way or having their head so glued to their phone they couldn

As far as seeing bus numbers is concerned I use a handheld monocular and visual cues like whether it's a double decker; livery (where I can see it) and, er, whether something is due according to the timetable.

I have never asked someone for a bus number in my life unless I am having a bad eye day and even the monocular isn't helping.

Neil2017

Hi @Splashy
i am a Hampshire resident and indeed use my concessionary disabled bus pass to get in and out of Both Southampton and Portsmouth. The difference is that Southampton a local authority starts its concessionary times for pensioner pass holders on a different time from Hants CC and this seems to confuse drivers in Southampton as I was charged once and should not have been. The number 1 bus which I guess you are referring to the Bluestar 1 from Winchester to Southampton you should be able to use.
hope this helps

Splashy

Hey Mike... yeah no ones taught me how to use the symbol cane either, Im just winging it now as for the last 13 years I never went out. I tend to just deploy it when Im crossing a road or when human traffic over whelms me on the pavement, the click of it opening and me stopping mid tracks standing still has quite a positive effect. I also sometimes hold it semi open in a triangle configeration across my chest that somehow works. 

 But I have to say you could place the hubble telescope on m eye and I still wouldnt know what number the bus coming is without asking, but then my bus stop is the main bus station. 

 Oh thank you Nell .. yes it is as you say the big blue star bus.. 

Nystagmite

I did have a monocular and found it wasn't helpful at all. 

As for a cane - I have the mobility cane and I'm more likely to get walked into if I use it. It's as if when I use it, everyone suddenly stops looking where they're going and expects me to...

mikehughescq

Yes, I only use my symbol cane on public transport or in busy places but the click of it opening is as effective as walking with it.

Like all aids a monocular is a personal thing. Some people get on with variable focus, Others with a fixed. Others not at all.

Dasiydo

Well be caught out too with free bus pass had paid for going Stoke on Trent from Stafford and Longton had paid for pound when bus come 9.26am for do volunteering work shetter in end give up working there be trying do volunteering roll befriended and I fail now just learn support of peer group.
 I do feel sorry for wheelchair and push chair and Guide dogs can't get on because of OAP shopping Trolley on Disability in poor rain for three hours 

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