Query about using London Councils Freedom Pass outside London

[Nigel]

Having recently qualified for a London Councils Freedom Pass I thought that I would start using it on my travels further afield.

I think that I am fully familiar with where and when it can be used, but my query is about the mechanics of using it outside London. There have been historic posts on this forum about using non-London concessionary passes within London and, in particular, the non-interoperability of them with Oyster readers on TfL buses, which occasionally has caused problems with ignorant drivers.

My queries are about the reverse situation:
- Do most buses outside London have card readers on which concessionary passes need to be swiped? If so, do London Councils Freedom Passes work on these?
- Otherwise, do you just show your pass. Or do you need to state your destination and be issued with a ticket?
- Does the procedure vary by operator?
- Has anyone experienced any difficulties using a London pass outside London, of which it may be useful to be aware in advance?

Many thanks.

 

[mangad]

There's a page with information here - https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/using-your-pass-outside-london

But specifically, yes most buses have card readers but Freedom passes don't work on them so you need to show your pass.

 

[Roger1973]

I don't think my mother (who's a London resident) has ever had difficulty using her Freedom Pass outside London since the scheme came in.

Some places have gone in for asking for destination and issuing a ticket, but think this has got less common now the scheme's more established. Just show the card, and if the driver asks questions, then so be it.

In London, some people from outside London get in to difficulties if they try to scan their pass on the reader and it doesn't work, you can get new / agency drivers then thinking the pass isn't valid. You might just get the same outside London.

At the risk of stating the obvious -

Some places outside London allow travel outside the statutory hours on weekdays, but in some cases, it's only offered to people with that / neighbouring council's pass. You can always ask the driver if you want to travel before 0930 / after 2300, but be prepared to pay.

Also, things like trams, local trains etc outside London are not covered by the national scheme, and most will restrict free travel to local residents.

If you're going to be in a particular area, the local transport authority and / or operators' websites may tell you what the deal is locally.

 

[Nigel]

Thanks for the information. So no point in attempting to use any card readers then, as the Freedom Pass won't work on them?

 

[DaveLondon]

Thanks for the information. So no point in attempting to use any card readers then, as the Freedom Pass won't work on them?

My experience is that London cards work on ticketer at least widely around England anmd machines used by Stagecoach. Never had a difficulty.

 

[Nigel]

I can confirm, now that I've used my London Freedom Pass on multiple journeys across England, that there appears to be a universal requirement to touch the card on the bus card reader, and that a London-issued card does seem to work everywhere.

 

[Goldfish62]

Thanks for the information. So no point in attempting to use any card readers then, as the Freedom Pass won't work on them?

They'll work everywhere because they're ITSO-compliant, so do tap on the reader. In non-technical jargon the readers can recognise them!