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 | 6,692,810 | 9,496,235 |
| May 2025 | 7,160,689 | 10,002,989 |
| June 2025 | 6,310,360 | 9,261,178 |
| July 2025 | 5,551,291 | 9,906,170 |
| August 2025 | 6,566,608 | 10,105,482 |
| September 2025 | 8,109,023 | 9,708,200 |
| October 2025 | 7,957,118 | 9,846,260 |
| November 2025 | 7,740,377 | 9,234,524 |
| December 2025 | 6,373,376 | 9,086,148 |
| January 2026 | 6,813,066 | 8,217,743 |
| Total to date | 69,274,718 | 94,864,929 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 281,209,721 as at 31 January 2026.
Cardholders
| Local Authority | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 33,925 | 57,870 |
| Aberdeenshire | 40,139 | 77,035 |
| Angus Council | 15,636 | 38,468 |
| Argyll & Bute | 10,559 | 33,099 |
| City of Edinburgh | 94,829 | 147,819 |
| Clackmannanshire | 5,973 | 14,131 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 3,228 | 9,193 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 16,894 | 58,719 |
| Dundee City | 24,967 | 42,585 |
| East Ayrshire | 18,521 | 36,846 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 15,597 | 36,093 |
| East Lothian | 17,711 | 35,302 |
| East Renfrewshire | 16,805 | 27,474 |
| Falkirk | 22,396 | 43,065 |
| Fife | 63,690 | 119,231 |
| Glasgow City | 101,855 | 156,874 |
| Highland | 28,360 | 74,373 |
| Inverclyde | 11,648 | 26,081 |
| Midlothian | 16,038 | 28,111 |
| Moray | 12,430 | 28,284 |
| North Ayrshire | 20,942 | 44,903 |
| North Lanarkshire | 53,313 | 87,090 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,727 | 7,758 |
| Perth & Kinross | 21,065 | 50,755 |
| Renfrewshire | 28,039 | 53,493 |
| Scottish Borders | 14,989 | 37,679 |
| Shetland Islands | 3,621 | 7,534 |
| South Ayrshire | 13,899 | 39,590 |
| South Lanarkshire | 53,391 | 94,590 |
| Stirling | 12,851 | 25,181 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 14,730 | 27,773 |
| West Lothian | 26,466 | 47,376 |
| Total as at 1 February 2026 | 837,234 | 1,614,375 |