In a significant development, MPs are poised for a showdown over proposals to grant free bus passes to all people in England aged 60 and above. A campaign has broken through a crucial threshold this morning, ensuring the matter will be debated in Parliament. Support for the plans, which urge the Department for Transport to extend a privilege currently enjoyed by travellers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to English residents over 60, has seen a dramatic increase . At present, free concessionary travel passes are issued to people in England when they reach 66. The responsibility of funding this service in England falls on financially burdened local authorities, while in Scotland, Wales and NI, the devolved governments have chosen to foot the bill directly. Consequently, concessionary passes for those over 60 are only available in a handful of areas such as Merseyside and London – with everyone else having to wait an additional six years. A petition on the parliament website has today surpassed 100,000 signatures, guaranteeing it will now be debated by MPs. This means the DfT will need to justify its stance and outline any potential changes. The petition, initiated by Karen Hickman, states : “We call on the Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London. We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60.”, reports the Express . “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.” A series of written questions have been posed to Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander by MPs regarding this matter – and earlier this month, Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, responded to a Parliamentary written question, stating that a recent funding decision did empower councils to use a grant to fund free travel for over 60s if they choose to. In response to a query from Liberal Democrat MP Pippa Heylings , he wrote: “The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around 拢700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. “However, local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, such as lowering the age of eligibility. Additional local concessions are provided and funded by local authorities from local resources. “The government has confirmed 拢955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes 拢243 million for bus operators and 拢712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available.” The Department for Transport responded when the petition crossed the 10,000 signatures mark, stating: “Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area and as such, the eligibility age for the bus pass differs between the devolved nations of the United Kingdom. This means, in effect, that there are different schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so the administrative arrangements are entirely separate.” You can view the petition along with the full response from the Department for Transport here .