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 | 6,692,076 | 9,494,707 |
| May 2025 | 7,154,657 | 9,989,543 |
| June 2025 | 6,301,729 | 9,246,418 |
| July 2025 | 5,538,382 | 9,884,606 |
| 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 | 25,686,844 | 38,615,274 |
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 |
33,213 |
57,175 |
|
Aberdeenshire |
39,747 |
75,864 |
|
Angus Council |
15,463 |
37,923 |
|
Argyll & Bute |
10,336 |
32,600 |
|
City of Edinburgh |
90,315 |
144,550 |
|
Clackmannanshire |
5,830 |
13,916 |
|
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
3,239 |
9,070 |
|
Dumfries and Galloway |
16,855 |
57,559 |
|
Dundee City |
24,536 |
42,137 |
|
East Ayrshire |
18,387 |
36,305 |
|
East Dunbartonshire |
15,210 |
35,297 |
|
East Lothian |
17,694 |
34,710 |
|
East Renfrewshire |
16,332 |
26,959 |
|
Falkirk |
21,287 |
42,072 |
|
Fife |
62,030 |
117,674 |
|
Glasgow City |
95,426 |
152,977 |
|
Highland |
26,288 |
72,959 |
|
Inverclyde |
11,710 |
25,481 |
|
Midlothian |
15,178 |
27,556 |
|
Moray |
12,241 |
27,835 |
|
North Ayrshire |
20,616 |
44,201 |
|
North Lanarkshire |
52,683 |
85,556 |
|
Orkney Islands |
2,640 |
7,626 |
|
Perth & Kinross |
20,482 |
49,770 |
|
Renfrewshire |
27,315 |
52,217 |
|
Scottish Borders |
14,566 |
37,127 |
|
Shetland Islands |
3,585 |
7,422 |
|
South Ayrshire |
13,653 |
39,065 |
|
South Lanarkshire |
52,132 |
92,426 |
|
Stirling |
12,427 |
24,625 |
|
West Dunbartonshire |
14,528 |
27,069 |
|
West Lothian |
25,780 |
46,292 |
|
Total as at 31 July 2025 |
811,724 |
1,584,015 |