greater manchester transport travel vouchers

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Travel Voucher Scheme

Travel vouchers are for people who are not able to use ordinary buses, trains or Metrolink and who have serious walking difficulties or are registered blind. They can be used to pay for taxis and for travel on accessible bus services such as Ring and Ride and community transport. See website for further details of the vouchers available.

Who to contact

Where to go, get directions to m1 3bg using google maps, availability.

You may qualify for travel vouchers if you are a resident in Greater Manchester and:

• are registered blind with your local authority, or
• are in receipt of DLA (Higher Rate Mobility Component), or
• are in receipt of Higher Rate Attendance Allowance, or are in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement, or
• If you do not receive any of the above benefits, you may still be entitled to travel vouchers if you are not able to walk 100 metres or more, or climb steps of 300 millimetres or more, however, this must to be certified by your doctor on your application form

For an application form and further information please write or phone.

Last Updated

Last updated: 03/04/2024

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Travel Vouchers – how do I apply for them?

This is often referred to as taxi vouchers. To find out about them go to the Transport for Greater Manchester webpage:

http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/Tickets/Pages/tickets_travel_vouchers.aspx

Concessionary Pass Travel in Greater Manchester

Closed 3 Mar 2023

Opened 9 Feb 2023

[email protected]

Since the Covid-19 pandemic fewer people are using public transport in Greater Manchester. However, the reduction has been greatest amongst older people: concessionary pass use in Greater Manchester usage is considerably lower than pre-pandemic levels. To understand why this is the case, and to help ensure that the Bee Network is accessible and attractive to all age groups, Transport for Greater Manchester, the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub and the Greater Manchester Older People’s network are asking for your time completing a short questionnaire. If you need assistance to complete the questionnaire, please phone 0161 244 1000. Please click here for TfGM’s  privacy policy . Further information about how TfGM processes your personal information collected in this survey, including who we may share it with and how long we will hold it for, is provided in the  privacy notice  for this survey.

• General public

Roads and transport Concessionary travel passes

Free school travel passes and cycle vouchers Some children get a free travel pass to get to and from school on a bus, train or tram in Greater Manchester. Secondary pupils can choose a cycle voucher instead of a pass.

See who qualifies and how to apply

Low fares for under-16s There's a range of other travel passes and reduced fares for under-16s.

See who qualifies and how to apply at the Transport for Greater Manchester website.

Special educational needs?

Pupils with a statement of special educational needs can get free school travel. See who qualifies and how to apply

You could also get extra transport help from our  Travel Co-ordination Unit .

Lost your free travel pass?

Email passes&[email protected] for replacements or call Transport for Greater Manchester on 0161 244 1050. 

Fields marked * cannot be left blank

Feedback submitted to us on this form is monitored but you won’t receive a reply. In an emergency, visit our emergency contact details page . Please don't include any personal or financial information, for example your National Insurance or credit card numbers.

Transport for Greater Manchester - Travel Pass for disabled people

A travel pass entitles residents of Greater Manchester to use bus, train and Metrolink services for free, or at a reduced rate. The pass is free and lasts between one and five years.

Who can get one?

You can get a Travel Pass if you:

• have serious walking difficulties
• are registered partially sighted
• have a profound or severe hearing loss
• would be refused a driving licence under Section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1998

You can get a Travel Plus pass if you:

• are registered blind
• are profoundly deaf and without speech or have limited speech that is difficult to understand
• have a significant learning disability
• cannot use both of your arms
• cannot talk
• are an ex-serviceman/woman with serious walking difficulties as a result of losing a leg
• would be refused a driving licence as a result of severe and long-term mental-health problems

What is the difference between a Travel pass and a Travel Plus pass?

A Travel Pass can travel for free on buses, trams and trains in Greater Manchester between 9.30am and midnight, Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and on public holidays. If you travel before 9.30am you will be charged the normal fare.

A Travel Plus pass holder can travel for free on buses, trams and trains at all times in Greater Manchester.

With both passes you can also use local buses for free anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and on public holidays.

Who to contact

Where to go, get directions to m60 1hx using google maps, who is it for.

• Learning disability
• Mental health
• Autistic Spectrum
• Communication
• Physical impairment
• Profound or Multiple Needs
• Hearing impairment
• Visual impairment

For Greater Manchester residents with one or more of the conditions above

Availability

Apply online via the TfGM Travel Pass for disabled people page

Send details by text

This will send details of 'Transport for Greater Manchester - Travel Pass for disabled people', to your mobile phone using our SMS service. You will not be charged for this message.

Last Updated

Last updated: 18/08/2021

greater manchester by bus

County Advice overview

Bus operators in Greater Manchester are steadily making more of their buses as accessible as possible in compliance with the standards required by government regulations. This includes but is not limited to the use of ramps, display screens, audio-visual ‘next stop’ announcements and low floor buses. See the website for further information Accessible public transport | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

Key tips for Planning your journey

When planning a journey by bus, things to consider might be “Where is my nearest bus stop?” and “What bus number do I need?”. You may also want to think about buying your ticket, what it will cost, can you pay by cash or card and can you buy it in advance online. Be aware that online tickets for buses are often non-refundable if you cannot make your journey.

Buses can only stop at marked bus stops, so you need to be sure where you are getting off in advance. If you are not sure, the bus driver should be happy to help you. Ask the driver to let you know when your stop is coming up. You may need to consider if the nearest bus stop is accessible if you are travelling with a scooter or wheelchair.

My journey Manchester   Plan a journey | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

Can help with advice about travel choices in your area that may result in saving you time and money.

First Buses have produced cards called Extra Help to Travel cards and Safe Journey Cards for people who have a disability to use on their buses. They are available from Travel shops, or you can download one using the link below: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/uploads/node_images/Extra-Help-To-Travel-journey-assistance-cards-june-20-v2.pdf

Journey planning

Local bus providers have journey planners and will be able to help you with information regarding your journey.

Transport for Greater Manchester have a journey planner available online Plan a journey | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

Traveline is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, and coach to provide it in as many different ways as possible. Plan Your Journey | Traveline

You can check when the next buses in the Manchester area are due at your chosen stop here:  Plan a journey | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

If you are travelling outside the county, the national Next Buses website will help you search for bus timetables and your nearest bus stop.

You can put in your postcode to find your nearest stop and the next bus due https://nextbuses.mobi/

Go North West

Run local bus services across Manchester.

Go North West – Go all over Greater Manchester with Go North West!

Accessibility on our buses | Diamond Bus (diamondbuses.com)

Customers with Disabilities | Hidden Disabilities Assistance Cards | Arriva Bus

Bus accessibility | First Bus

Accessibility and affordability – Stagecoach Group

Ring & Ride accessible minibuses

Ring & Ride accessible minibuses | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

Help with cost – Concessionary Travel

Older Person’s Pass

Concessionary bus passes are available for older people who have reached state pension age and resident in Manchester. The older person’s bus pass entitles you to free travel on bus services throughout England from 9.30am to midnight Monday to Friday and all day at Weekends and on public holidays.

You can also choose to pay £10 to add tram and train to your pass for further benefits within Greater Manchester.

For further information Travel pass for older people | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

Residents of Greater Manchester can apply here:

20-0230_ENCTP_Pension_Age_App_Form_TfGM_2020_WEB.pdf (ctfassets.net)

Disabled Person’s Bus pass

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Person’s bus pass Residents of Greater Manchester. There is no upper age restriction for the disabled person’s bus pass.

Information on eligibility is available here:

Travel pass for disabled people | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

17-1223_TfGM_ENCTP_Walking_Diff_or_RDL_Application_Form_WEB.pdf (ctfassets.net)

Travel vouchers

Travel vouchers are an alternative discount for travel than the disabled person’s bus pass, it is for those who are unable to use a bus service but are able to access taxis, private hire vehicles and community transport schemed like Ring & Ride.

Who can apply?

Travel vouchers are an alternative to the bus pass. You cannot have both. To use community transport services, it is recommended you apply for a disabled person’s bus pass.

You can apply here:

Travel vouchers for disabled people | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)

How it works

You can buy travel vouchers and use them instead of cash to pay for taxis, private hire vehicles and community transport schemes anywhere in Greater Manchester. Using travel vouchers works out as a quarter of the normal travel cost. For example, you get £20 worth of travel vouchers for just £5.

You can buy up to a maximum of £120 worth of vouchers per year (to use from April to March). You can buy these all in one go or purchase these throughout the year. Please order any vouchers you need for March by the end of February. On 1 March each year, we start to sell vouchers for the following year, to allow enough time to process and post orders for 1 April.

A sheet of vouchers costs £5 each (with a value of £20 of travel on each sheet). You can therefore purchase a maximum of 6 sheets a year (at a cost of £30 to you for £120 worth of travel). We are unable to sell less than £5 worth of travel vouchers at a time.

We are unable to give refunds for unused travel vouchers so you should only purchase as many vouchers as you need.

Travelling with mobility equipment

Wheelchairs and Scooters

All Diamond, Go North West, and Arriva buses are built for easy access with low floors.

All low floor buses have a dedicated area for wheelchair/scooter users; other passengers are required to give up the space for wheelchair/scooter users.

When your low floor bus arrives at the bus stop you can ask the driver to lower the step and/or ramp to allow you to board.

Wheelchair/scooter users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely.

Arriva policy

Arriva accept 3 or 4 wheeled Class 2 scooters under the CPT Code for the use and acceptance of mobility scooters on low floor buses provided the scooter does not exceed 100cm long and 60cm wide with a turning circle of 120cm. Mobility scooters will only be carried on accessible buses that are fitted with a ramp provided they do not exceed the weight limit shown on the ramp. In some cases, our ability to carry scooters may be affected by specific factors relevant to the scooter model or accessible bus type.

If the bus is full or there is already a wheelchair/scooter user on board it may not be possible not be able to carry another wheelchair/scooter user. Permits are required to ensure the safety of using mobility scooters on board. Please contact the Customer Service team to arrange a scooter pass assessment on 0344 800 4411.

Go North West policy

We endeavour to make our vehicles inclusive to all of our customers and this includes making it as accessible as we can for disabled people and those with buggies.  We are therefore working hard to ensure our entire fleet of buses meets the needs of those of our passengers who use wheelchairs or are in buggies. In addition, we operate in accordance with the Codes of Practice of the Confederation of Passenger Transport in relation to our passengers who use mobility scooters (the “Code”).

Diamond Policy

Wheelchair Access

All our buses are wheelchair accessible.

All our buses have an access ramp at the entrance, if you require the ramp to be lowered when you board or alight the bus, please ask your driver for assistance.

All of our buses have a dedicated wheelchair space.

Wheelchairs must be positioned with the brakes on and with the back of the chair against the backrest, aisles and gangways must be kept clear at all times.

Assistance Dogs  

All recognised guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed to travel for free on all Greater Manchester buses.

RDAC Patricks Farm Barns, Meriden Road Hampton in Arden, B92 0LT

T 0300 300 2240 E [email protected]

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How to Get About

Public transport, travel passes, travel information for the older person, travel information for the disabled, useful organisations.

• Concessionary fares
• Travel vouchers
• Choosing the right ticket
• Travel shop times

From this site you can also gain news for instance, on rail strikes, transport during Bank Holiday periods or changes in tickets and fares.

Standard single journey tickets are available from the driver and at ticket machines or booking offices at Train and Metrolink tram stations.

If you use public transport regularly, you can make savings by purchasing a ticket in advance. There are a range of tickets available, covering different periods of time and different combinations of bus, train and tram. Follow this link for further information on tickets and fares.

There are also concessionary passes and free bus passes available.

• Financial help with travel
• Concessions
• People with disabilities
• Passengers with disabilities
• Senior railcards
• Driving licences
• The Blue Badge Parking Scheme
• Door-to-door transport
• Social cars
• Dial-a-ride
• Taxi-card schemes

If you're 60 or over you automatically qualify for the Routesixty fares, which means you can travel at up to half-price on most National Express services in England and Wales. Even when half-price fares aren't available, you can take advantage of brilliant discounts with Routesixty. And what's more, you don't need to pay for a discount card. So don't be shy about coming forward and getting a better deal on travel.

Please refer to the section on Useful Organisations for further help in getting around.  

Other Financial Help with Travel

The disabled parking scheme, driving licences, class 3 vehicle users.

• Get Wheelchair Wise - a Wheelchair User's Guide to Public Transport
• Volunteer Car Service

Ring and Ride

Travel vouchers for the disabled.

Disability Living Allowance

If you are disabled you may be entitled to financial help with travel. This help may come from the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance. For details about Disability Living Allowance and whether you meet the conditions to qualify.

Exemptions from VAT

You may also not have to pay VAT on necessary adaptations to your car, which may also extend to spare parts, accessories, repair and maintenance.

The Disabled Parking Scheme or Blue Badge Scheme as it's sometimes known is a national scheme for people who:

• Are registered blind or
• Have severe walking difficulties or
• Regularly drive, but are unable to turn the steering wheel by hand.

The scheme provides a wide range of parking benefits. For example the scheme enables badge holders to park free in most pay and display car parks and also to park on single and double yellow lines in most streets for up to three hours. For more information, qualifying conditions to obtain the badge and how to apply, see www.tameside.gov.uk/bluebadge .

What is it?

The first Motability vehicle was supplied in 1978 and since then more than 1.28 million cars and powered wheelchairs have been provided. The Motability Scheme now has more than 390,000 customers driving, or being driven on the road to freedom.

Help in becoming mobile

There are various ways you can get more mobile with Motability's help. They offer four main Schemes to help you obtain a vehicle, powered wheelchair or scooter. These are:

• A three year Contract Hire Scheme for New Vehicles
• A four, or five year, Hire Purchase Scheme for New Vehicles
• A two, or three year, Hire Purchase Scheme for Used Vehicles
• A two, or three year Hire Purchase Scheme for Powered Wheelchairs and Scooters

Who can use the Motability Scheme?

Disabled people who receive the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance, or the War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement can use their mobility allowance towards the cost of obtaining a vehicle, or powered wheelchair, through the Motability Scheme. The allowance must be awarded for long enough to complete the chosen agreement.

Children from the age of three and non-drivers can also apply for vehicle as passengers, provided they are in receipt of the correct allowance.

Further Information

For further information on:

• Help in obtaining a suitable vehicle
• Help with driving lessons
• Help with vehicle adaptations
• Accredited suppliers in your local area

To find information on what driving licence you need; how to get one; and what to do if you have a medical condition or special needs that could affect your driving.

Medical Rules

If you have a medical condition which has become worse since your licence was issued or you develop a new medical condition, you must write and inform the Drivers Medical Unit of the nature of your condition, as it may affect your fitness to drive. Failure to do so is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £1,000.

Further information on your health and notifiable medical condition can be found on www.dvla.gov.uk

Code of practice for Class 3 vehicle users

To recognise that electric scooters and wheelchairs do not come into any road user category , a special highway code has been produced by the British Healthcare Trades Association.

To find out:

• What is a class 3 Vehicle User?
• Where can they be used?
• What are the legal requirements?

Get Wheelchair Wise - A Wheelchair User's Guide to Public Transport

If you are a wheelchair user you will find that more and more public transport is becoming accessible to you. New regulations mean that in future, trains, buses and taxis will all have to be designed so that most wheelchair users can travel on them.

There are some basic facts that you might find helpful to know, particularly if you do not use public transport but would like to do so, for instance:

• Before you travel
• Getting on and off
• Useful contacts

Your Local Wheelchair Centre:

There are volunteers that freely offer their time and use their own car to drive the disabled person to their destination, which might be to a social event such as visiting family and friends, going to the theatre or perhaps alternatively using the trip to attend a hospital appointment.

The disabled person should be unable to use public transport nor afford taxis to access this service. A 'mileage' charge will be made to cover the cost of petrol used.

Organisations offering this service are shown below. You will need to bear in mind that much will depend on the availability of volunteers at the time, because of this the service cannot be guaranteed.

To access this scheme from Age Concern, you need to be aged 55 or over. Also, the British Red Cross make a small charge for their scheme, so please check with them to find out the full cost of your journey.

Glossop Volunteer Bureau 

Ring and Ride provides door-to-door transport for people who find it very difficult or impossible to get to a bus stop or get on or off ordinary buses. Their buses have low entrance steps and lifts at the back to make it easy for people to get on and off. If you use a wheelchair, the driver will secure your wheelchair safely in the bus or, if you like, help you into a seat. Drivers are fully trained in customer care and disability awareness.

Ring and ride is designed to provide short local journeys. The buses are small and can reach most homes easily. Remember: Ring and Ride is for people who have difficulty getting about - if you can use ordinary buses please do.

Tameside Ring and Ride can be found at:

Here you can access a factsheet on travel for the older person.

Mobilise 

Mobilise promotes and protects the welfare and personal mobility of all disabled people, drivers and non-drivers.

General information for all modes of public transport.

Help in getting around for the disabled person.

Ring and Ride Tameside 

For those who have difficulty in accessing public transport.

Campaigner for better lifestyles for disabled people and their families.

Tameside Carers Centre

For members of the Carer's centre who participate in trips out.

Information for travellers with disabilities with links to travel, tours, transport, access, mobility aids and other helpful organisations.

• Public transport

Ring & Ride accessible minibuses

An accessible, low-cost minibus service for people who have difficulty in using public transport.

Ring & Ride provide accessible, low cost transport to disabled people and older people with walking difficulties. If you qualify, you can book a Ring & Ride accessible minibus to take you, and an accompanying adult, door to door for journeys of up to 6 miles in Greater Manchester.

There are some exceptions where registered users may travel more than 6 miles from their home address as long as the destination is within Greater Manchester. Trips which may be considered include:

• Travel to the nearest local hospital
• Travel to the nearest town centre or accessible transport facility

Ring & Ride minibuses are suitable for taking wheelchairs, and all drivers have had special accessibility and disability-awareness training.

This service operates between 8am to 10.45pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 10.25pm on Sundays.

Face coverings still welcome

Face coverings are no longer compulsory, but in line with government advice they are still suggested and are welcomed on Ring and Ride.

Do you qualify?

To use Ring & Ride you must travel with one of the following:

• a TfGM travel pass for disabled people ; or
• a TfGM travel plus pass for disabled people ; or
• a TfGM travel pass for older people , be 70 or over and have difficulty walking; or
• use TfGM travel vouchers for disabled people

Book your journey

Before you can book your first journey, you will need to register. It's free to register, and you can join in a number of ways:

Register online

To register online, please complete our online registration form .

Register over the phone

You can call our Customer Contact Centre on 0161 244 1000 and select option 2 for Ring and Ride and our staff will be happy to help.

Register by post

To register by post, all you need to do is print out the registration form and when it is complete, post it to: FREEPOST TfGM Ring & Ride PO Box 429 Manchester M60 1HX

Book over the phone

Once you have registered, you can book your journey. You can do this from between seven days to an hour before you travel. You can book journeys by calling 0161 244 1000. The Ring and Ride booking line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm for bookings and cancellations.

Contact us with ‘where is my vehicle’ queries from 4pm to 11pm Monday to Friday or from 8am to 10.30pm on weekends.

For the fare types indicated with an asterisk (*) above, please note that these fares are valid for journeys made after 9.30am Monday to Friday and at weekends. If you wish to make a Ring and Ride journey before 9.30am on a weekday, a fare of £3.10 will be payable.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your trip please let us know at the earliest opportunity. This will allow your trip to be given to another person.

If you travel as part of a group booking and you cancel repeatedly we may remove you from the group booking and request you book as an individual passenger instead.

To contact us with a query, feedback or complaint please phone us on 0161 244 1000 and select option 2 for Ring and Ride. Customers familiar with the 0161 200 6011 number can continue to use this number.

The Ring and Ride booking line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. The Ring and Ride enquiry line is open 8am to 10.30pm

Alternatively you can email at: [email protected]

Privacy notice

Read our customer relations privacy notice.

Travel included with Co-op Live tickets

Co-op Live ticket holders can travel on the tram and new city centre shuttle buses.

Say yellow to the Bee Network

Buses in Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester joined the Bee Network on 24 March.

New sponsor: Starling Bank Bikes

We’re delighted to welcome Starling Bank on board as the new sponsors of our bike hire scheme.

Manchester City Matchday Buses

We've teamed up with Manchester City to launch a large-scale bus trial helping fans from across Greater Manchester and nearby areas to travel to and from the Etihad Stadium on a matchday.

Rate your journey

We want to hear your views to help us deliver a better Bee Network for Greater Manchester.

Planned engineering works on Metrolink

Visit our dedicated webpage to find out how the works could affect your journeys.

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