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• Transport and streets
• Public transport

Using your Diamond Travelcard bus pass

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

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How to use your Diamond Travelcard

When you can travel, where you can travel, companion passes.

The pass is a smartcard. This means that passes can be scanned on bus card readers for travel in South Gloucestershire and most areas of England. You will not receive a paper ticket.

You cannot use your Diamond Travelcard on trains or in taxis.

You can use for your Diamond Travelcard on Transport for London buses for free travel but it should be used as a flashcard instead.

In South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, you can use your Diamond Travelcard Monday to Friday from 9am through to 2am the next day. At weekends and bank holidays you can use your Diamond Travelcard 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 concessionary travel outside these hours on a discretionary basis. Check with the operator before you travel.

The Diamond Travelcard 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 the Diamond Travelcard cannot be used 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)

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 concessionary bus pass 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.

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Free bus travel throughout your birthday month

Enjoy free travel on participating bus services on your birthday month.

Anyone from the age of 5 living in the West of England is now eligible to apply for free bus travel on participating services for the month their birthday falls in.

All you have to do is apply at least 7 days before the first day of your birthday month. But you can still apply after that – right up to the 15th, and still get a pass for the rest of that month.

The Birthday Bus Pass will then be delivered to you via post, to use during your birthday month. Don’t delay, apply now !

How to apply for your Birthday Bus Pass

To apply for your pass, simply apply online. Applying is simple. All you’ll need:

• Your address: A valid address in the West of England area (Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire)
• Your age: If you’re 18 or under, you’ll need to verify your age, to make sure that the bus operators are reimbursed correctly. Check the application page for more details.
• Your identity: a recent digital photo that meets the standard photo-pass requirements.

Your Birthday Bus Pass will then be sent to you in the post which you simply need to scan on the machine reader when boarding the bus. For WEST link bookings, simply quote the code on the back of the pass when booking your ride.

Participating services

The Birthday Bus Pass will be accepted on most buses in the West of England.

Exceptions include:

• School services
• Community transport
• Special event services
• Coach services
• Airport services (A1 and A3)
• A4 Air Decker for journeys starting and ending at Bristol Airport, you can use it on other parts of the route
• Newport bus
• Stagecoach Falcon
• Bath Park & Ride services 21, 31, and 41 (it is accepted on service 4 from Odd Down Park & Ride)

Other exclusions may apply.

Frequently asked questions

For more frequently asked questions, please visit the application page .

Don’t delay! Apply now and we’ll send you your pass in the post. Apply now here .

To enjoy free travel for the whole of your birthday month, apply at least 7 days before the first day of your birthday month.

But you can still apply after that – right up to the 15th, and still get a pass for the rest of that month.

Scan your Birthday Bus Pass on the ticket machine reader. If you have any problems, please speak to the driver who will be happy to assist.

For WEST link journeys, please quote the code on the back of your Birthday Bus Pass when booking your ride.

Passes will be replaced at no cost. Passes will only be replaced within the first 15 days of the month they are valid for, to allow for processing and delivery time.

The Birthday Bus Pass, giving residents free travel across the region, is the only one of its kind in the country and will run for a 12-month period from the 1st August 2023.

So don’t delay! Make sure you and everyone you know gets a Birthday Bus Pass!

Birthday Bus Pass customer assistance

For assistance, including lost cards, please contact the bus pass team using the details below. Normal opening hours are 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Major Alerts

Major updates that may affect your travel in the west of england..

• Last updated: 09:55 
• 03rd May, 2024 03/05/2024

May Bank Holiday bus services 6 and 27 May 2024

• Status: Scheduled
• From:  06th May, 2024 06/05/24
• To:  28th May, 2024 28/05/24

West of England

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Apply for a disabled person's bus pass

We've matched the postcode to Bristol City Council .

You can get information on their website.

Go to Bristol City Council website

Get more information about a disabled person’s bus pass in:

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Local councillors election 2024 : see the full results

• For residents
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• Fleet Services

Vehicle services for charities and voluntary organisations, MOT and taxi compliance tests

Fleet Services provides transport solutions, fuel supply, servicing and repairs to Bristol City Councils' fleet of plant and machinery vehicles.

We also offer this service for charities and voluntary organisations, email [email protected] to see how we can help.

We make sure Bristol City Council vehicles stay legally compliant with UK Law, Transport Legislation and Health and Safety requirements.

MOT and Taxi compliance testing

Fleet Services also provide MOT testing to members of the public and Taxi vehicle inspection testing .

Opening hours

We're open:

• Monday, 7am to 5pm
• Tuesday, 7am to 5pm
• Wednesday, 7am to 5pm
• Thursday, 7am to 5pm
• Friday, 7am to 4.30pm
• Saturday, closed
• Sunday, closed

We're on: Sandy Park Road Brislington Bristol BS4 3NZ.

You can access our office through the stone archway off Bath Road.

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The Bristol Mayor

Mayor of bristol, marvin rees' blog.

Free travel offers for people in Bristol

Walking, cycling, and active travel are great ways to incorporate physical activity in our daily lives. Just 20 minutes of exercise a day can be long enough to reap the rewards, helping to ease stress, reduce the risk of depression, and increase productivity. That could easily be achieved in a walk to the shops, a scoot to school, or a short cycle ride to the office.

I regularly travel into City Hall by walking and taking the bus or by hopping on an e-scooter, and I find it a great way to start a busy day.

We’re helping people in Bristol to travel more actively where they can and save money by giving out free travel offers . This includes free bike and e-bike loans, cycle training, bus and train taster vouchers, and car club credit. This is a great opportunity to try out new ways of travelling for free while looking after your wellbeing. The offers are open to anyone who lives or works in Bristol, so I would encourage people to give it a go and sign up today .

People in Bristol have already been benefitting from these offers and we’ve given out over 15,000 since the scheme launched last year. And it’s having a measurable impact; as part of the Big Bristol Travel Challenge the council ran with Sustrans in July, we recorded a total of 6,269 sustainable journeys. Of these, 2,988 were by walking and 1,718 were by cycling. In all, this change over the month saved 2,341Kg of Co2 emissions as well as people saving £3,575 in travel costs.

I’d love to see more of us making the most of the offers this summer to get around the city to enjoy the many exciting events that are taking place.

I know that it’s not always possible to leave the car at home, but it’s important to remember that together our small actions can make a big difference, not only to our own lives, but to the health of our environment and the people around us.

Air pollution affects everyone, after all. In Bristol, exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter were estimated to contribute to around 300 deaths a year, before the introduction of the Clean Air Zone. This is something that we must continue to work together to reduce and leaving the car at home just once a week can make a big difference. We can all do our bit to help keep Bristol’s air clean. 

Swap four wheels for two

While many people feel comfortable getting around on two wheels, for others cycling can feel daunting for many reasons. Loss of confidence on a bike, not having the equipment, or perhaps having never had the chance to learn – we are offering support to help you overcome these challenges and give cycling a go.

As part of our free travel offers, you can get a free loan bike for up to a month to try out a bike before investing in one yourself. We have a range of different bikes available to try including standard cycles great for everyday use, e-bikes that give you an extra boost going up the hills, and folding bikes that are convenient for small spaces or commuting by train.

There’s something to suit every type of rider. Also available is free cycle training to help give you more confidence on a bike. Make the most of a guided ride to help you find the best cycle route for your daily commute or take part in a Bikeability skills course. Find out more about free support for cycling .

Using public transport

Using some of the many public transport options in Bristol might also be a good option for you. You can give the bus or train a go with taster vouchers , helping you explore some of your local stations and routes for free.

If you’re not sure what route is the best for you, take a look at the useful Travelwest Journey planner or sign up for a free one-to-one travel planning appointment with our specially trained Travel Advisors.

If you live or work in the city centre, joining a car club could be a great way to make those occasional trips when you really need a car.  With over 25 cars across the city centre, give it a go with some free car club credit .

And get set for Cycle September

With September not far off, I’d urge you to get involved in this annual celebration of cycling. Cycle September is a month-long national competition from Love to Ride, which aims to get people cycling more often. This is a fun competition with no pressure on you to compete; you can either log your rides on the Love to Ride website or download the app. You’ll accumulate points for each ride you do and can win a range of great prizes including a £4,000 holiday. We’ll be announcing more on how to get involved very soon.

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Bristol City Council elections 2021: Oyster-style "Brunel" travel card promised by Lib Dems

Manifesto includes millions of new trees, velodrome plans and tidal power generator

• 15:05, 16 APR 2021

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An Oyster-style “Brunel Card” public transport system would be introduced by the Lib Dems if they win control of Bristol City Council at the local elections on May 6.

Reduced bus fares for under-25s, street lamps that dim automatically to save energy, opposing Bristol Airport’s expansion, continuing to support a city centre arena and scrapping the city’s mayor are all among the pledges in the party’s manifesto.

The group is also promising to plant 10 million trees over the next 20 years, build a tidal power generator, switch all taxis and private hire vehicles away from diesel and petrol before 2030, attract funding for a velodrome and promote drug consumption rooms , which are currently illegal.

Its manifesto, launched at College Green on Thursday, April 15, is anchored on three broad themes – sustainability, better services and better governance.

Among the more eye-catching policies are voting for a London-style bus franchise system at the West of England Combined Authority , a young person’s bus pass, lower fares for all and the Brunel travel card "smart ticketing" for passengers to hop between different modes of transport in Bristol.

The party supports new simplified resident parking zones (RPZs) with limited hours and greater flexibility for householders, rather than the blanket 9am to 5pm scheme, and a workplace parking levy to fund public transport, reduce congestion and combat air pollution .

A network of smart parking sensors providing real-time information to the public about the availability of parking spaces would be installed, along with “intelligent street lighting” which automatically adjust brightness.

Lib Dems also “embrace the potential of the hydrogen economy” and want to build a tidal power generator in the city, revitalise the Avon Barrage, develop hydro-power from the Floating Harbour and the Cut, and work with other local authorities on tidal lagoons in the Severn Estuary.

They would create a “living garden” along the M32 “providing a better welcome into the city” and pump an extra £19million into children’s play parks in Bristol.

The group pledges to clean up all the city’s rivers and streams by 2030, introduce a credit rating system for reliable renters and ensure “affordable housing” is actually affordable by reviewing the cost level for developers’ social housing obligations.

It would offer greater consultation with residents on plans to revamp Cumberland Basin with a view to protect local green space and encourage more dedicated student housing to reduce pressure on family housing stock while implementing a planning cap on “unsustainable growth by the universities”.

The manifesto backs drug consumption rooms “to reduce deaths, crime and dangerous litter, and to protect the public” and the party would push for drug reform, recreational drug testing and safe rooms for users.

Lib Dems would provide properly supported spaces for dyslexia and special needs education and protect SEND pupils ``because families should not have to fight or go to SEND tribunal to have the needs of their child met”.

Libraries would become community hubs with specialist social workers and housing advisers, while a free secure public wifi service would be created.

The community toilet scheme would undergo a comprehensive review, with council public toilets added where required.

The group would “continue to support the concept of a city-centre based arena as the most sustainable option for the city and seek to attract funding to build a velodrome for the city of Bristol”.

It would deliver the Bristol East pool and continue to support Jubilee Pool .

A referendum on the council leadership model would be held, with the party campaigning for the role of Bristol’s elected mayor to be abolished.

Neighbourhood partnerships, scrapped by Labour mayor Marvin Rees , would be reestablished as a precursor to new “neighbourhood councils” with parish council legal status where communities want them.

Lib Dem Bristol mayoral candidate Caroline Gooch said: “We have an ambitious but achievable plan for Bristol, and a vote for us is a vote for open and effective governance, something that is sorely lacking from the current administration.”

Group leader Cllr Gary Hopkins said "We have a strong plan from Bristol and based on our successful experience running the council from 2009-12 we know we can deliver on it.

“At the core of our plan is scrapping the role of Bristol mayor, bringing local democracy back, and putting an end to the current secretive and unaccountable state of the council.”

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