Elderly and disabled residents in the Strathclyde area receive the best travel benefits in Scotland because of the wide area that the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme covers and the minimal travel time restrictions.

The Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme offers reduced fares on ScotRail services which start and finish within the scheme's boundaries, and on Glasgow's Subway. Concessionary travel is also available on local ferries for anyone who lives on an island or peninsula and meets the qualifying criteria.

The bus element of the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme has been replaced by the new Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people, run by Transport Scotland.

A National Entitlement Card is needed to obtain free bus travel and reduced fares on trains and the Subway.

A Strathclyde Concessionary Scheme Travel Card with a named ferry route on it is needed to get reduced ferry travel.

Concessionary travel is not available for tours, excursions, night services or other special services where a premium rate is charged. It is only available for the normal scheduled services provided by bus, train, Subway and ferry operators.

Please note: people who are blind and hold an appropriate Scottish Citizens' National Entitlement Card can travel free at any time and on any type of public transport.

The scheme is open to people aged 60 years old and over and many disabled people if they live permanently in the area covered by the scheme.

Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Cards, with a named ferry route on them (Ferry Travel Cards), are available to people aged 60 years and over and many disabled people if they live permanently on one of the islands covered by the scheme or they live on the Cowal or Rosneath Peninsulas.

Ferry Travel Cards allow concessionary travel on named, local ferry routes.

An Entitlement Card is needed to use the bus, train and Subway parts of the scheme. A Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Card with a named ferry route on it is needed to use the ferries.

The Entitlement Cards for people who live in Strathclyde have an 'S' next to the council logo to show that person can travel by rail and Subway within the Strathclyde scheme area.

Anyone who has an 'L' and an 'S' on their card can travel by train within the Strathclyde scheme area before 09:00.

All cardholders will be able to travel by bus before 09:00.

If you have not received your Entitlement Card:

• Visit the Transport Scotland website for more information (opens a new window);
• Look at our Scotland-wide free bus travel page, or
• call 0845 601 6499 to find out how to get one.

A Ferry Travel Card (Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Card with a named ferry route on it) is needed to get concessionary travel on local ferries. People who have a Ferry Travel Card can travel at a reduced rate on the normal scheduled crossings which serve the route named on their card.

If you are 60 years or over you can apply for a Ferry Travel Card at your local Post Office. If you have a disability you can apply for a card by contacting SPT's Concessionary Travel Unit on 0141 333 3211.

Work is under way to introduce Electronic Ticketing Machines at ferry terminals. When these are in place you won't need to use a Strathclyde Ferry Travel Card as your Entitlement Card will be accepted.

If your Strathclyde Concessionary Ferry Travel Card is due to expire you should apply for a new one. This can be done at your local Post Office if you are an elderly person. Disabled Ferry Cards must be renewed via the Travel Card Unit.

All concessionary rail journeys have to start and end at a station inside the scheme's boundaries.

From May 23, a 60p single, or £1 return, concessionary fare is charged for rail journeys of up to 10 miles.

A half-adult single or half-adult return fare is charged for journeys over 10 miles. Return fares and through ticketing are allowed.

People who are 60 years and over cannot take advantage of the scheme before 09:00 on weekdays.

There is no restriction at weekends or on national public holidays. There is no peak time restriction for people with disabilities.

From April 1, all single concessionary journeys will cost 60p. Return journeys will be charged at £1.

People who are 60 years and over cannot take advantage of the scheme before 09:00 on weekdays.

There is no restriction at weekends or on national public holidays. There is no peak time restriction for people with disabilities.

The only public transport for which you still need a Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme Card is the ferry. Any existing Strathclyde scheme cards with a ferry entitlement on it should be kept. A Companion Travel Card will also be needed for use on ferries if there is a ferry entitlement named on it.

The Companion Travel Card only shows a photograph of the holder. The companion must be five years old or over and must start and end their journey with the person they are helping.

If you have a Travel Card and want to exchange it for a Companion Travel Card you have to produce evidence that you qualify. You can do this by calling in person at the Travel Card Unit or your local Social Work Office with evidence of your entitlement.

Alternatively, you can post it in with a note of your current card number to: SPT Travel Card Unit, Buchanan Bus Station, Killermont Street, Glasgow, G2 3NW.

A Companion Travel Card will be posted to you within seven to 10 working days.

Download a map showing the area covered by the scheme (pdf format, 968kb, opens a new window.)

Remember, the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme's boundaries only apply to concessionary train, Subway and ferry journeys. They don't apply to concessionary bus journeys.

SPT administers the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme for:

• Argyll & Bute Council
• East Ayrshire Council
• East Dunbartonshire Council
• East Renfrewshire Council
• Glasgow City Council
• Inverclyde Council
• North Ayrshire Council
• North Lanarkshire Council
• Renfrewshire Council
• South Ayrshire Council
• South Lanarkshire Council
• West Dunbartonshire Council.

The Travel Card Unit is closed on public holidays.

The Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme is a scheme which is administered by SPT for the 12 unitary authorities which make up the West Regional Transport Partnership. Representatives from each of the unitary authorities and SPT together make up the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme Joint Committee which is ultimately responsible for operating the scheme.

Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, we have to provide you, the data subject, with details of the data controller, the kind of data that we will be/are processing, the purposes for which we will be/are processing your data and third parties to whom we may transfer your data.

The data controller is Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme Joint Committee although if you have any queries relating to data protection you should write to the Concessionary Fares Officer at the Travel Card Unit in the first instance.

The following personal data is processed:

• Personal details such as name, address, date of birth, telephone number;
• Details relating to health;
• National Insurance number;
• DSS allowances received;
• Council Tax details (for second home owners).

The above data is processed for the following purposes:

• To administer the scheme;
• To make decisions relating to eligibility under the scheme;
• To develop improvements to the scheme;
• To develop new schemes;
• To monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme;
• Market research and analysis.

In carrying out the above purposes, personal data relating to you may be transferred to the following third parties:

• Unitary authorities;
• Medical practitioners;
• Consultants acting on behalf of the Executive;
• Post Office Ltd.

If/when you apply for a Travel Card, in order to process your application for a Concessionary Travel Card, it will be necessary for us to process your sensitive personal data and, in particular, for disabled applicants, data relating to your health. Your explicit permission to process such data is required when you apply.

By signing the application forms (or certificate of eligibility or requesting the renewal or replacement of an existing travel card) you are providing your explicit consent for us to process your sensitive personal data for the purposes outlined above.

As data subject, you have a number of rights under the Act in relation to the data which is processed about you. One of these rights is a subject access right. This means that you have the right to have a copy of the data which is processed about you which is held in our computer records and also some data which is held in our manual records.

If you want to see the data we hold about you, write to the Concessionary Fares Officer at: SPT Travel Card Unit, Buchanan Bus Station, Killermont Street, Glasgow,G2 3NP. Please enclose a cheque for £10 made payable to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.