00:00Ministers are facing fresh pressure to fix what critics are calling an unacceptable gap in free
00:05bus travel that saves people in the North East to wait six years longer than London has for the
00:10same benefit. Under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme or the ENCTS,
00:16free bus passes are available to anyone who reaches the state pension age, which currently
00:22sits at the age of 66. But if you live in London, a 60 plus Oyster card lets you travel for free on
00:27buses and the tube from the age of 60. And it's not just the capital, Scotland, Wales and Northern
00:34Ireland all offer similar travel perks from age 62. In contrast, residents in the North East and
00:40other regions in England must wait until they're 66, a gap that Newcastle City Council says is deeply
00:47unfair. This week, the council passed a motion calling on Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander
00:53to extend the ENCTS to include everyone over the age of 60 across England. Independent councillor
01:00Mark Donnelly, who brought the motion forward, didn't hold back. He said,
01:05we're meant to be one United Kingdom. If anyone tried raising London's age limit from 60 to 66,
01:11there'd be an outrage. So why are Geordies expected to put up with it? He also said that the current
01:16system treats the North East as a second thought and called on the government to deliver fairness across
01:22all regions. In response, a Department for Transport spokesperson said they recognise how important
01:28bus passes are for people keeping connected and accessing essential services. They highlighted recent
01:35reforms, including the £3 CAF on single bus fares, which has now been extended to March 2027.
01:42But for many in the North East, that's not enough.
