Letter from our CEO: Concessionary Bus Travel

OpenSight’s Statement on Concessionary Bus Travel in Hampshire 

OpenSight is concerned about the effect that the changes to concessionary bus travel are having on people in Hampshire who are blind or partially sighted. For many of the people we support, the bus is not simply their preferred mode of travel; it is their only realistic way of getting to work, medical appointments, education, volunteering and community activities. When free travel before 9.30am and companion passes are withdrawn, the result is a direct loss of independence for those who already face the greatest barriers. 

National evidence reinforces this picture. RNIB’s recent research found that 83 per cent of blind and partially sighted people consider access to bus travel to be very important, yet fewer than half can make all the journeys they need.  

Other studies show that more than 40 per cent of visually impaired people need support for every journey, rising to almost 60 per cent when travelling somewhere unfamiliar.  

Time-limited bus travel does not take account of these realities. Many hospital appointments and shifts start well before 9.30am, and early travel is often safer for people with sight loss due to lighting conditions and the demands of mobility.  

The position in Hampshire also compares poorly with neighbouring authorities. Residents in Southampton and Portsmouth continue to benefit from more generous concessions, including companion passes and, in Portsmouth’s case, all-day travel. Their residents can use these additional concessions when travelling in Hampshire, but Hampshire residents cannot. This inconsistency places people with sight loss in Hampshire at a clear disadvantage. 

Financially, the national modelling suggests that offering all-day disabled travel would cost an average authority around £45,200 a year, which equates to roughly 1 per cent of total concessionary travel spending.  

This is modest when set against the wider impact of reduced mobility: increased social isolation, higher reliance on taxis, greater barriers to employment, and potential knock-on effects for health and social care. 

OpenSight’s View 

We believe the following steps are necessary to protect the independence of blind and partially sighted people in Hampshire: 

• Restore free peak-time travel and companion passes. 

• Ensure Hampshire residents have the same level of concession as those living in Southampton and Portsmouth. 

• Involve disabled residents and specialist organisations in any future decisions about concessionary travel. 

• Support moves toward a national, fully funded scheme that removes the current postcode inconsistencies. 

• Improve the accessibility of local bus services, including audio announcements, driver awareness and bus stop design, in line with the recommendations set out by RNIB.  

Hampshire’s visually impaired community is already navigating the daily challenges of reduced sight. Limiting their ability to travel freely risks deepening isolation and reducing opportunities at a time when maintaining independence should be central to local policy. 

Yours sincerely  

Chris Dixon   

Chief Executive