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 |
6,802,635 |
9,673,334 |
|
May 2026 |
7,313,933 |
9,897,215 |
|
June 2026 |
6,774,809 |
9,764,781 |
|
July 2026 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
August 2026 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
September 2026 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
October 2026 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
November 2026 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
December 2026 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
January 2027 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
February 2027 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
March 2027 |
not applicable |
not applicable |
|
Total to date |
20,891,377 |
29,335,330 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 317,677,459 as at 30 June 2026.
Cardholders
|
Local Authority |
Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme |
Older & Disabled Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
|
Aberdeen City |
33,812 |
58,502 |
|
Aberdeenshire |
40,967 |
78,279 |
|
Angus Council |
15,612 |
38,810 |
|
Argyll & Bute |
10,855 |
33,569 |
|
City of Edinburgh |
93,816 |
147,914 |
|
Clackmannanshire |
6,068 |
14,272 |
|
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
3,288 |
9,238 |
|
Dumfries and Galloway |
17,786 |
53,446 |
|
Dundee City |
24,741 |
42,866 |
|
East Ayrshire |
18,613 |
36,992 |
|
East Dunbartonshire |
16,008 |
35,785 |
|
East Lothian |
18,119 |
35,885 |
|
East Renfrewshire |
16,845 |
27,634 |
|
Falkirk |
22,413 |
43,095 |
|
Fife |
63,293 |
120,518 |
|
Glasgow City |
101,183 |
156,614 |
|
Highland |
28,442 |
75,141 |
|
Inverclyde |
11,453 |
25,967 |
|
Midlothian |
16,437 |
28,176 |
|
Moray |
12,716 |
28,638 |
|
North Ayrshire |
20,837 |
45,327 |
|
North Lanarkshire |
54,469 |
87,689 |
|
Orkney Islands |
2,805 |
7,817 |
|
Perth & Kinross |
21,471 |
51,499 |
|
Renfrewshire |
28,500 |
53,022 |
|
Scottish Borders |
15,591 |
38,096 |
|
Shetland Islands |
3,712 |
7,500 |
|
South Ayrshire |
13,963 |
39,784 |
|
South Lanarkshire |
54,334 |
94,155 |
|
Stirling |
12,934 |
25,394 |
|
West Dunbartonshire |
14,789 |
27,673 |
|
West Lothian |
26,623 |
47,202 |
|
Total as at 01 July 2026 |
842,495 |
1,616,499 |