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.
- ‘Journeys’ 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 2026 |
6,801,272 |
9,670,578 |
|
May 2026 |
7,311,728 |
9,892,028 |
|
June 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
July 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
August 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
September 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
October 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
November 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
December 2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
January 2027 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
February 2027 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
March 2027 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Total to date |
14,113,000 |
19,562,606 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 310,896,482 as at 31 May 2026.
Cardholders
|
Local Authority |
Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme |
Older & Disabled Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|
Aberdeen City |
33,780 |
58,318 |
|
Aberdeenshire |
40,846 |
78,022 |
|
Angus Council |
15,630 |
38,674 |
|
Argyll & Bute |
10,672 |
33,436 |
|
City of Edinburgh |
94,053 |
147,136 |
|
Clackmannanshire |
6,037 |
14,265 |
|
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
3,284 |
9,216 |
|
Dumfries and Galloway |
17,817 |
53,228 |
|
Dundee City |
24,742 |
42,793 |
|
East Ayrshire |
18,610 |
36,905 |
|
East Dunbartonshire |
15,744 |
35,672 |
|
East Lothian |
18,098 |
35,729 |
|
East Renfrewshire |
16,819 |
27,529 |
|
Falkirk |
22,362 |
42,914 |
|
Fife |
63,449 |
120,104 |
|
Glasgow City |
101,440 |
155,799 |
|
Highland |
28,386 |
74,908 |
|
Inverclyde |
11,481 |
25,848 |
|
Midlothian |
16,398 |
28,080 |
|
Moray |
12,621 |
28,506 |
|
North Ayrshire |
20,818 |
45,196 |
|
North Lanarkshire |
54,429 |
87,320 |
|
Orkney Islands |
2,784 |
7,785 |
|
Perth & Kinross |
21,423 |
51,320 |
|
Renfrewshire |
27,781 |
52,815 |
|
Scottish Borders |
15,576 |
37,969 |
|
Shetland Islands |
3,705 |
7,497 |
|
South Ayrshire |
13,896 |
39,670 |
|
South Lanarkshire |
53,222 |
93,727 |
|
Stirling |
12,920 |
25,234 |
|
West Dunbartonshire |
14,768 |
27,552 |
|
West Lothian |
26,554 |
46,954 |
|
Total as at 01 June 2026 |
840,145 |
1,610,121 |