The government is set to break silence over calls to extend free bus travel for people over 60 in England. A Parliamentary petition will “call on the Labour Party Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London.” It is urging Labour: “We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60. Currently, people in England who do not live in London are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach the state pension age, which we believe has changed dramatically. “As people get older some over 60s drive less and less, therefore we believe we need equality on public transport. It would mean England had the same provision as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.” READ MORE State pension age could change for millions born in the 1970s The petition has smashed through the 100,000 barrier with 100,430 signatures. 100,000 signatures is required to be considered for a debate in Parliament. Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for a debate.The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme costs around £700 million annually. Any changes to the statutory scheme must be carefully considered for their impact on its financial sustainability. The petition was set up by Karen Hickman with a date for a debate set to be issued within the next 24 hours, the Parliamentary website says. In England you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age. If you live in London, you can travel free on buses, tubes and other transport when you’re 60, but only within London. In Wales you can get a bus pass when you reach 60. There’s no central provider of the disabled person’s bus pass – to find out if you’re eligible and how to apply, you need to get in touch with your local council. It’s a good idea to contact individual transport operators to see if they offer discounts. Age UK says: “For instance, National Express offers Coachcards. These are discount cards for older or disabled customers. You buy them for a set fee of £15 and they get you a third off the cost of your travel across the year.”