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 |
6,803,834 |
9,677,763 |
|
May 2026 |
7,315,124 |
9,901,277 |
|
June 2026 |
6,783,577 |
9,778,834 |
|
July 2026 |
5,828,272 |
10,236,375 |
|
August 2026 |
6,782,954 |
10,436,300 |
|
September 2026 |
8,208,414 |
9,865,177 |
|
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 |
41,722,175 |
59,895,726 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 338,497,111 as at 30 September 2026.
Cardholders
|
Local Authority |
Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme |
Older & Disabled Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|
Aberdeen City |
34,108 |
58,958 |
|
Aberdeenshire |
41,195 |
79,034 |
|
Angus Council |
15,834 |
39,181 |
|
Argyll & Bute |
11,068 |
33,929 |
|
City of Edinburgh |
94,979 |
149,576 |
|
Clackmannanshire |
6,186 |
14,368 |
|
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
3,272 |
9,310 |
|
Dumfries and Galloway |
17,746 |
54,126 |
|
Dundee City |
24,890 |
43,109 |
|
East Ayrshire |
18,634 |
37,365 |
|
East Dunbartonshire |
16,372 |
36,143 |
|
East Lothian |
18,329 |
36,222 |
|
East Renfrewshire |
17,181 |
27,864 |
|
Falkirk |
22,717 |
43,648 |
|
Fife |
63,492 |
121,414 |
|
Glasgow City |
101,674 |
158,680 |
|
Highland |
29,137 |
75,818 |
|
Inverclyde |
11,457 |
26,260 |
|
Midlothian |
16,937 |
28,562 |
|
Moray |
12,887 |
29,013 |
|
North Ayrshire |
21,077 |
45,754 |
|
North Lanarkshire |
54,726 |
88,509 |
|
Orkney Islands |
2,858 |
7,901 |
|
Perth & Kinross |
21,518 |
52,100 |
|
Renfrewshire |
28,778 |
53,731 |
|
Scottish Borders |
15,677 |
38,424 |
|
Shetland Islands |
3,749 |
7,562 |
|
South Ayrshire |
14,189 |
40,114 |
|
South Lanarkshire |
54,748 |
95,256 |
|
Stirling |
13,175 |
25,762 |
|
West Dunbartonshire |
14,826 |
28,010 |
|
West Lothian |
27,185 |
47,941 |
|
Total as at 01 October 2026 |
850,601 |
1,633,644 |