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 | 6,692,802 | 9,496,188 |
| May 2025 | 7,160,711 | 10,003,054 |
| June 2025 | 6,310,275 | 9,261,110 |
| July 2025 | 5,551,305 | 9,906,232 |
| August 2025 | 6,566,581 | 10,105,468 |
| September 2025 | 8,108,864 | 9,707,954 |
| October 2025 | 7,956,687 | 9,845,861 |
| November 2025 | 7,740,338 | 9,234,415 |
| December 2025 | 6,368,226 | 9,078,023 |
| Total to date | 62,455,789 | 86,638,305 |
The total number of journeys taken through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its commencement in January 2022 is 274,391,518 as at 31 December 2025.
Cardholders
| Local Authority | Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme | Older & Disabled Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 33,932 | 57,911 |
| Aberdeenshire | 40,025 | 76,997 |
| Angus Council | 15,700 | 38,387 |
| Argyll & Bute | 10,550 | 33,071 |
| City of Edinburgh | 94,529 | 147,304 |
| Clackmannanshire | 5,982 | 14,096 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 3,243 | 9,185 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 16,969 | 58,533 |
| Dundee City | 25,033 | 42,552 |
| East Ayrshire | 18,514 | 36,845 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 15,597 | 35,973 |
| East Lothian | 17,771 | 35,262 |
| East Renfrewshire | 16,781 | 27,403 |
| Falkirk | 22,387 | 42,929 |
| Fife | 63,583 | 119,077 |
| Glasgow City | 101,700 | 156,247 |
| Highland | 28,401 | 74,183 |
| Inverclyde | 11,709 | 25,994 |
| Midlothian | 15,987 | 28,018 |
| Moray | 12,428 | 28,222 |
| North Ayrshire | 20,699 | 44,851 |
| North Lanarkshire | 53,433 | 86,939 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,726 | 7,748 |
| Perth & Kinross | 21,012 | 50,684 |
| Renfrewshire | 28,055 | 53,318 |
| Scottish Borders | 15,011 | 37,648 |
| Shetland Islands | 3,630 | 7,524 |
| South Ayrshire | 13,915 | 39,575 |
| South Lanarkshire | 53,386 | 94,256 |
| Stirling | 12,819 | 25,078 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 14,746 | 27,649 |
| West Lothian | 26,470 | 47,193 |
| Total as at 1 January 2026 | 836,723 | 1,610,652 |