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 2025 | 6,691,455 | 9,494,089 |
| May 2025 | 7,151,114 | 9,983,249 |
| June 2025 | 6,297,872 | 9,239,211 |
| July 2025 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| August 2025 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| September 2025 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| October 2025 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| November 2025 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| December 2025 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| January 2026 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| February 2026 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| March 2026 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Total to date | 20,140,441 | 28,716,549 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 232,069,235 as at 30 June 2025.
Cardholders
| Local Authority | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 32,933 | 56,932 |
| Aberdeenshire | 39,611 | 75,494 |
| Angus Council | 15,334 | 37,697 |
| Argyll & Bute | 10,288 | 32,426 |
| City of Edinburgh | 90,304 | 143,733 |
| Clackmannanshire | 5,804 | 13,879 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 3,224 | 9,029 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 16,752 | 57,294 |
| Dundee City | 24,479 | 41,957 |
| East Ayrshire | 18,442 | 36,174 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 15,105 | 35,123 |
| East Lothian | 17,629 | 34,591 |
| East Renfrewshire | 16,185 | 26,828 |
| Falkirk | 21,220 | 41,823 |
| Fife | 62,109 | 117,263 |
| Glasgow City | 95,226 | 151,954 |
| Highland | 26,076 | 72,577 |
| Inverclyde | 11,689 | 25,330 |
| Midlothian | 15,067 | 27,437 |
| Moray | 12,189 | 27,699 |
| North Ayrshire | 20,612 | 43,948 |
| North Lanarkshire | 52,653 | 85,126 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,617 | 7,603 |
| Perth & Kinross | 20,429 | 49,496 |
| Renfrewshire | 27,170 | 51,911 |
| Scottish Borders | 14,532 | 36,998 |
| Shetland Islands | 3,588 | 7,368 |
| South Ayrshire | 13,574 | 38,918 |
| South Lanarkshire | 52,077 | 91,908 |
| Stirling | 12,316 | 24,504 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 14,503 | 26,941 |
| West Lothian | 25,616 | 46,037 |
| Total as at 30 June 2025 | 809,353 | 1,575,998 |