Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what obligations are placed on bus operators to accept the National Entitlement Card for local cross-border journeys.
The rules governing journeys made under the National Concessionary Travel Schemes are set out in the National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons (Eligible Persons and Eligible Services) (Scotland) Order 2006 as amended and the National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Young Persons (Scotland) Order 2021.
These Orders state that operators admitted to the scheme must provide travel concessions to eligible persons travelling on eligible services on eligible journeys on presentation of a valid travel card.
Eligible services are defined as services which operate wholly within Scotland or a Northern England service, which is (a) a service to or from Carlisle which starts, passes through or ends in Dumfries and Galloway, and (b) a service to or from any part of North Northumberland adjoining Coldstream, Norham and Berwick-uponTweed, which starts, passes through or ends in the Scottish Borders.