Bedfordshire buses

County Advice overview

Each area of Bedfordshire has different operators and each one offers different support to people with disabilities. Relevant accessible travel information can be found on the websites below:

• Bedford Borough Information
• Central Bedfordshire Information
• Luton Information

Key tips

When planning a journey by bus, things to consider might be: ‘Where is my nearest bus stop?’ and ‘What bus number do I need?’. You may also want to think about buying your ticket, what it will cost, can you pay by cash or card and can you buy it in advance online. Be aware that online tickets for buses are often non-refundable if you cannot make your journey.

Buses can only stop at marked bus stops, so you need to be sure where you are getting off in advance. If you are not sure, the bus driver should be happy to help you. Ask the driver to let you know when your stop is coming up. You may need to consider if the nearest bus stop is accessible if you are travelling with a scooter or wheelchair.

Intalink can help plan your journey and can help with advice about travel choices in your area that may result in saving you time and money.

Operators

Arriva

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk

Arriva are one of the UK’s leading providers of bus transport and operate services in Bedfordshire. The website holds a quick guide to plan your journey as well as national timetables and Journey Assistance Cards. Arriva also has an APP for Smartphone users. 

Stagecoach in Bedford (for all services except service 50)

Visit www.stagecoachbus.com  to view the current Stagecoach timetables.

Email: bedford.enquiries@stagecoachbus.com (customer services) or bedford.disabilityhelpdesk@stagecoachbus.com (disability helpdesk)

Tel: 01234 220030

Grant Palmer Ltd

www.grantpalmer.com
Tel: 01525 719719

Wanderbus

www.wanderbus.org.uk
Tel: 0300 1233023

The Villager Minibus

Tel: 01234 781920

Flittabus

https://flittabus.co.uk
Helpline: 07960 388111

Arriva

www.arrivabus.co.uk

CentreBus

https://www.centrebus.info/

South Beds Dial-a-Ride (accessible local minibuses)

www.sbdar.co.uk
01525 220044

Help with cost

Each area of Bedfordshire has a different scheme for concessionary bus passes from free travel to discounted travel for older and disabled people. You can contact your local council area for more details.

Concessionary Travel in Luton

PlusBus and Travel Aid

By buying a PlusBus ticket with your train ticket, you have access to unlimited bus and tram travel around town. It also connects you with the National Rail network. So, you can buy your PlusBus ticket in advance and catch the bus to the station. 

PlusBus can be bought with all types of rail tickets, single or return and all season tickets, for unlimited bus travel in the PlusBus area. Fares start from £2.50 a day.

Visit the PlusBus website for additional information.

Travel aid

To gain a travel aid pass you must live in Luton, not be in work and actively seeking employment, and meet the following criteria:

• employment support allowance
• a registered job seeker in receipt of job seekers allowance
• a single parent in receipt of income support
• universal credit
• an unemployed school leaver aged 16/17 and registered with youth advice Luton

Disability Resource Centre 

DRC Beds has a lot of information on bus passes and ways to save money on travel.

Special assistance

Arriva offer Journey Assistance Cards to make it easier for customers with disabilities to travel, particularly those with hidden disabilities such as learning difficulties, mental health, mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Journey Assistance cards discreetly indicate to drivers that you may need additional support, help or a little more time. Just show the card to the driver as well as your travel ticket when boarding the bus. More information can be found here.

All bus operators are required to accommodate one wheelchair or suitable types of mobility scooters on buses that feature low floor, easy access entrances and a designated wheelchair space. Drivers are obligated to always assist wheelchair and scooters users to board the services in accordance with their legal obligations.

Travelling with mobility equipment

Wheelchairs and Scooters

All low floor buses have a dedicated area for wheelchair and scooter users; other passengers are required to give up the space for wheelchair and scooter users.

When your low floor bus arrives at the bus stop you can ask the driver to lower the step and/or ramp to allow you to board.

Wheelchair and scooter users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely. 

If the bus is full or there is already a wheelchair or scooter user on board it may not be possible to be able to carry another wheelchair or scooter user.

Assistance Dogs

All recognised guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed to travel for free on all Bedfordshire buses.

Routes and timetable links

Local bus providers have journey planners and will be able to help you with information about your journey.

Traveline is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry and to provide it in as many different ways as possible.

The following websites also provide useful information to help with route planning and timetables:

• Central Bedfordshire Information
• Bedford Borough Information
• Stagecoach
• Arriva