Concessionary travel data
We monitor data relating to our National Concessionary Travel Schemes (NCTS), which provide free bus travel for those aged under 22, 60+ and eligible disabled people, on a regular basis. You can find the latest data on concessionary bus journeys and cardholders below.
Important information about this data
- All information is correct, based on available data, at the time of publication.
- Transport Scotland does not own the National Entitlement Card. Cardholder data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO).
- Cardholder data refers to the number of people with a valid NEC but does not include products which either start in the future or have expired.
- NECPO work with stakeholders and partners to carry out regular data cleansing of the customer database which may impact cardholder numbers when records are updated.
- Journey data refers to a smart journey recorded against a valid product that has been received and processed for payment by Transport Scotland.
All data is subject to change due to late data being received.
Journeys
| Month | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | 6,023,515 | 8,691,413 |
| May 2024 | 6,786,025 | 9,370,950 |
| June 2024 | 6,070,320 | 8,880,212 |
| July 2024 | 5,397,951 | 9,413,384 |
| August 2024 | 6,375,762 | 9,818,939 |
| September 2024 | 7,572,719 | 9,071,963 |
| October 2024 | 7,766,157 | 9,694,771 |
| November 2024 | 7,633,082 | 9,225,372 |
| December 2024 | 6,059,383 | 8,509,638 |
| January 2025 | 6,473,881 | 8,009,147 |
| February 2025 | 6,874,244 | 8,291,948 |
| March 2025 | 7,847,815 | 9,501,237 |
| Total to date | 80,880,854 | 108,478,974 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 211,893,925 as at 31 March 2025.
Cardholders
| Local Authority | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 32,754 | 56,350 |
| Aberdeenshire | 39,081 | 74,697 |
| Angus Council | 15,176 | 37,182 |
| Argyll & Bute | 10,069 | 32,003 |
| City of Edinburgh | 90,751 | 141,897 |
| Clackmannanshire | 5,723 | 13,759 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 3,141 | 8,969 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 16,141 | 56,620 |
| Dundee City | 24,302 | 41,569 |
| East Ayrshire | 18,389 | 35,769 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 14,942 | 34,644 |
| East Lothian | 16,947 | 34,227 |
| East Renfrewshire | 15,892 | 26,547 |
| Falkirk | 21,146 | 41,347 |
| Fife | 61,236 | 115,993 |
| Glasgow City | 94,615 | 149,593 |
| Highland | 25,846 | 71,678 |
| Inverclyde | 11,660 | 24,891 |
| Midlothian | 14,751 | 27,074 |
| Moray | 11,845 | 27,435 |
| North Ayrshire | 20,758 | 43,428 |
| North Lanarkshire | 52,411 | 83,990 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,469 | 7,523 |
| Perth & Kinross | 19,910 | 48,879 |
| Renfrewshire | 26,286 | 51,095 |
| Scottish Borders | 13,559 | 36,652 |
| Shetland Islands | 3,485 | 7,351 |
| South Ayrshire | 13,335 | 38,537 |
| South Lanarkshire | 50,344 | 90,554 |
| Stirling | 12,336 | 24,091 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 14,250 | 26,516 |
| West Lothian | 25,291 | 45,389 |
| Total as at 31 March 2025 | 798,841 | 1,556,249 |