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• How to use a National Bus Pass
• When to use a National Bus Pass in this area
• Where to use a National Bus Pass in England
• What is not included with a National Bus Pass
• Park and Ride information

How to use a National Bus Pass

• The pass must be show to the bus driver on all journeys for free travel to be provided.
• If the bus you are travelling on has a card reader, the bus driver may direct you to hold your pass against the reader.
• You must tell the driver where you want to travel as a ticket must be issued for your journey to be recorded accurately.
• You must retain your ticket for inspection

When to use a National Bus Pass in this area

• From 9:30am to the end of service on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Public Bank Holidays.
• Pass holders making any bus journey before 9.30am on weekday mornings will have to pay for their journey except in the following circumstance:
• Valid passes can be used on eligible bus services where there is a service before 9:30am but no further service until after 11:00am. A current list of bus services where this applies is available from the Concessionary Bus Travel Office or from the links below:
  East Devon bus route exceptions (6KB - pdf help)
  Exeter bus route exceptions (2KB - pdf help)
  Mid Devon bus route exceptions (3KB - pdf help)
  North Devon bus route exceptions (4KB - pdf help)
  South Hams bus route exceptions (4KB - pdf help)
  Teignbridge bus route exceptions (4KB - pdf help)
  Torridge bus route exceptions (3KB - pdf help)
  West Devon bus route exceptions (5KB - pdf help)
  
• When using your National Bus Pass outside the Devon County Council area, please check for local travel variations.  The statutory concession is 09:30 - 23:00 weekdays, unlimited travel weekends and Bank Holidays.
  Map of Devon County Council area (4.48MB - pdf help).

Where to use a National Bus Pass in England

The pass entitles the pass holder to free off-peak travel on registered local buses* anywhere in England with the exception of the services listed below:

• Services operated as ‘sight-seeing tours’ offering only one type of premium fare with no separate fares between stages or boarding points.
• Services on which the majority of seats can be reserved in advance of travel.

*A registered local bus is a timetabled bus service which is open to the general public.

What is not included with a National Bus Pass?

• Car parking charges at Park & Ride sites
• Long-distance coaches.
• Coach excursions and holiday tours.
• Rail-replacement buses.
• Ring & Ride, taxis, private hire cars and Fare Cars.

Some local authorities in England may be able to fund additional benefits to the scheme. In general their variations will only be available to local residents. Please contact the local council where you are travelling for further information.

Park and Ride information

The National Bus Pass is valid on Exeter and Barnstaple Park and Ride services but not on registered sections of Express coach services.

Despite national news headlines, pass holders may continue to use Park and Ride services in the Exeter and Barnstaple areas from 09.30am Monday to Friday and all day on weekends.

The government has withdrawn registered sections of Express coach services from the national concession. However there is no evidence that these services were used for local travel by pass holders for example between Exeter and Torbay because local bus services such as the services 2 and X46 are available and have been well used instead.

All other local bus services freely available to the public where a ‘normal’ fare is paid remain available for free travel for national bus pass holders.