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 |
6,803,793 |
9,675,674 |
|
May 2026 |
7,315,097 |
9,899,339 |
|
June 2026 |
6,782,172 |
9,775,676 |
|
July 2026 |
5,826,577 |
10,228,949 |
|
August 2026 |
6,759,181 |
10,402,386 |
|
Total to date |
33,486,820 |
49,982,024 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 330,273,046 as at 31 August 2026.
Cardholders
| Local Authority | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 33,960 | 58,829 |
| Aberdeenshire | 40,978 | 78,765 |
| Angus Council | 15,714 | 39,211 |
| Argyll & Bute | 10,953 | 33,828 |
| City of Edinburgh | 93,591 | 148,913 |
| Clackmannanshire | 6,139 | 14,350 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 3,271 | 9,291 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 17,725 | 53,862 |
| Dundee City | 24,680 | 42,978 |
| East Ayrshire | 18,501 | 37,228 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 16,169 | 36,005 |
| East Lothian | 18,207 | 36,105 |
| East Renfrewshire | 16,982 | 27,773 |
| Falkirk | 22,622 | 43,466 |
| Fife | 62,893 | 121,056 |
| Glasgow City | 100,627 | 157,822 |
| Highland | 28,502 | 75,587 |
| Inverclyde | 11,383 | 26,121 |
| Midlothian | 16,618 | 28,425 |
| Moray | 12,768 | 28,868 |
| North Ayrshire | 20,883 | 45,590 |
| North Lanarkshire | 54,433 | 88,160 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,830 | 7,861 |
| Perth & Kinross | 21,410 | 51,890 |
| Renfrewshire | 28,506 | 53,449 |
| Scottish Borders | 15,602 | 38,314 |
| Shetland Islands | 3,702 | 7,541 |
| South Ayrshire | 14,053 | 40,011 |
| South Lanarkshire | 54,393 | 94,847 |
| Stirling | 13,052 | 25,605 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 14,776 | 27,863 |
| West Lothian | 26,865 | 47,667 |
| Total as at 1 September 2026 | 842,788 | 1,627,281 |