Using your Diamond Travelcard bus pass

A Diamond Travelcard gives you free bus travel anywhere in England if you are of state pension age, receive a qualifying benefit qualifying age or meet the disability criteria.

How to use your travelcard

To use your card you simply scan it on the card reader when you get on the bus. You will not be given a paper ticket.

You cannot use your travelcard on trains or in taxis.

When you can travel

In South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, you can use your travelcard Monday to Friday from 9am through to 2am the next day. At weekends and bank holidays you can use it all day.

In the rest of England, you can use your travelcard Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 11pm and all day at weekends and bank holidays.

Bus companies may offer discounted travel outside these hours at their discretion. Check with the operator before you travel.

Where you can travel

The card provides free travel on local bus services that are part of the local bus network in England. This includes the Bristol MetroBus.

This does not usually include long distance bus and coach services but you can check with the operator before you travel.

Journeys can be made into Wales from South Gloucestershire on the T7 service to Chepstow and Magor but you cannot use your card for other services within Wales.

A Diamond Travelcard is not valid for free travel on: 

• sightseeing tour buses within Bath and Bristol
• coach services such as National Express, Megabus or Falcon  
• the A1 or A4 bus service to Bristol Airport (but can be used on these services for journeys not to or from the airport)

Companion passes

We may provide companion passes to severely disabled residents who can only access local bus services with the assistance of a travelling companion.

The cardholder needs to be at least 11 years old to be eligible and will need to provide supporting evidence.

The companion bus pass will have a letter C on it and gives free bus travel to a companion travelling with the travelcard holder on journeys that start in South Gloucestershire.

Travel companions may be required to pay a fare if the journey starts outside the area. 

It does not need to be the same companion on all journeys.

Lost, stolen or damaged travelcard

If your travelcard is lost, stolen or damaged, we can issue a replacement. Contact us using the details below.

There is an £8 replacement fee unless you can give us a crime reference number.

You can pay by:

• debit card over the phone: 01454 868004
• debit card in one of our One Stop Shops
• cheque or postal order handed in at a One Stop Shop or post it to: Concessionary Travel, PO Box 1953, Bristol, BS37 0DB