Southampton’s ground breaking smartcard bus pass updated

The original Smartcities concessionary bus pass was introduced in Southampton in 2005 and was one of the first multi-application smartcards anywhere in the country. 30,000 people within the city were eligible for the concessionary bus pass, with its blue square for the over 60s or its red circle for disabled people. These passes offered multiple uses as a bus pass, library card, donor card and leisure card, and have been a huge success. However they have now been replaced by the new English National Concessionary bus pass and a new local Southampton bus pass, depending on which people are eligible for.

Smartcities has worked hard over the last few months to replace all of the existing Smartcities bus passes with the new style bus passes which maintain their multi-application use as library cards and leisure cards.

If you live in Southampton and are aged over 60 or are eligible disabled, you can apply for free off-peak local or national bus travel (please see Smartcities concessionary application form for full details and conditions).

Since April 2008, the local entitlement for free bus travel has been extended to allow bus travel all over England. It means that whether using the bus locally or when visiting other parts of the country, older and eligible disabled people can travel for free.

Application forms are available in any Southampton library, local housing office or Gateway in the Civic Centre. You can also download an application form from the link on the right hand side of this page.

Applicants need to complete the form and return it in person to any library, local housing office or Gateway in the Civic Centre.

Please see 'How to Apply' for more information or see details on our poster Replacement Card Poster