Question
I warmly welcome the extension of the travel hours for those with disabled bus passes, but there is one further step that is still necessary for disabled people who cannot travel on a bus without a companion. At the moment, whether a council allows the disabled bus pass to cover a companion is still discretionary. That needs to be made mandatory, because there is not much point in a disabled person having a free bus pass if the person who has to be with them has to pay the full fare.
Answer
The right hon. Gentleman raises an interesting point, which I know my hon. Friends will be aware of. The Bus Services Act 2025 includes strengthened requirements for disability training for drivers and for customer-facing staff working for bus companies, but I will certainly reflect on his point.
Verdict: RED (8/100)
The question asked whether the Government will make companion coverage on the disabled bus pass mandatory rather than discretionary. The reply does not say whether it will or won't. It mentions disability training under the Bus Services Act, which concerns driver and staff training rather than companion passes, and says the Minister will "certainly reflect" on the point, without a stated position or timescale. A member of the public would not have a committed answer and would likely need to ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government make it mandatory for councils to allow the disabled bus pass to cover a companion, rather than leaving this to council discretion? | Not Addressed | Generic | The question asks whether the Government will make companion coverage on the disabled bus pass mandatory rather than discretionary, but the reply never says whether it will or won't. The Bus Services Act disability-training point (statement 2) concerns driver and staff training, not companion passes, and the 'I will certainly reflect' line (statement 3) is a non-committal response with no stated position or date. |