Andy Burnham Expands Free Disabled Bus Travel Nationwide

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that disabled bus pass holders across England will receive unlimited, 24/7 free travel starting April 1, 2027. The initiative removes existing weekday restrictions that generally limited free travel to between 9:30am and 11pm, a move intended to improve access to employment, education, and healthcare for approximately one million people.

The project is funded by £60 million from existing budgets, with £40 million provided by the Department for Work and Pensions and £20 million by the Department for Transport. This national policy scales a model Burnham previously implemented in Greater Manchester. The reform is part of a broader cost-of-living package that includes capping bus fares at £2, removing VAT from electricity bills, and cutting business rates for pubs.

The announcement follows nearly two years of campaigning by figures such as Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon. While disability charities and local officials welcomed the change, a Conservative Party spokesperson characterized the policy as a shuffling around of existing departmental budgets. Additionally, Prime Minister Burnham partnered with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker to bring the West Midlands bus network under public control via a franchising model to prevent service collapses after National Express indicated it was leaving the market. This regional transition is supported by £11.5 million in new government funding over three years.