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 | 6,692,811 | 9,496,236 |
| May 2025 | 7,160,692 | 10,002,991 |
| June 2025 | 6,310,362 | 9,261,183 |
| July 2025 | 5,551,292 | 9,906,171 |
| August 2025 | 6,566,618 | 10,105,534 |
| September 2025 | 8,109,025 | 9,708,201 |
| October 2025 | 7,957,472 | 9,846,752 |
| November 2025 | 7,743,531 | 9,236,466 |
| December 2025 | 6,375,842 | 9,088,643 |
| January 2026 | 6,817,847 | 8,221,307 |
| February 2026 | 7,242,188 | 8,529,761 |
| Total to date | 76,527,680 | 103,403,245 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 288,462,709 as at 28 February 2026.
Cardholders
| Local Authority | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 33,944 | 58,036 |
| Aberdeenshire | 40,417 | 77,189 |
| Angus Council | 15,626 | 38,530 |
| Argyll & Bute | 10,559 | 33,233 |
| City of Edinburgh | 94,858 | 148,079 |
| Clackmannanshire | 5,995 | 14,170 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 3,212 | 9,213 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 16,839 | 58,893 |
| Dundee City | 24,953 | 42,656 |
| East Ayrshire | 18,565 | 36,935 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 15,615 | 36,201 |
| East Lothian | 17,733 | 35,420 |
| East Renfrewshire | 16,788 | 27,538 |
| Falkirk | 22,419 | 43,194 |
| Fife | 63,761 | 119,411 |
| Glasgow City | 101,982 | 157,570 |
| Highland | 28,403 | 74,620 |
| Inverclyde | 11,624 | 26,231 |
| Midlothian | 16,098 | 28,233 |
| Moray | 12,517 | 28,432 |
| North Ayrshire | 20,894 | 45,122 |
| North Lanarkshire | 53,074 | 87,314 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,727 | 7,778 |
| Perth & Kinross | 21,107 | 50,938 |
| Renfrewshire | 28,032 | 53,706 |
| Scottish Borders | 14,982 | 37,796 |
| Shetland Islands | 3,620 | 7,518 |
| South Ayrshire | 13,920 | 39,693 |
| South Lanarkshire | 53,282 | 94,948 |
| Stirling | 12,930 | 25,286 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 14,707 | 27,910 |
| West Lothian | 26,488 | 47,559 |
| Total as at 1 March 2026 | 837,671 | 1,619,352 |