MKCC concessionary travel schemes and privacy notice

Milton Keynes City Council Concessionary Travel Schemes 

Transport Acts 1985 & 2000 (as amended) 

Commencement Date: 1 April 2023 

(revised 1 October 2023, discretionary scheme updated)  

Introduction 

  1. This notice is published by Milton Keynes City Council (the ‘Council’) under Section 95 of the Transport Act 1985, Section 150 of the Transport Act 2000 (as amended) and The Mandatory Travel Concession (England) Regulations 2011 to give effect to a variation to the current statutory and discretionary concessionary travel scheme (the ‘Scheme’), which will come into effect on 1 April 2023. These revised schemes will permit a holder (Schedule 1) with a valid English National Concessionary Travel Scheme Permit or an All-in-1 MK card to travel on local bus services and specified Demand Responsive Transport services (Schedule 2) in accordance with the scheme definition below. 

Scheme Definition 

  1. The Scheme, as amended by the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, is operated by Milton Keynes City Council, Environment and Property Group, Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ. 

  2. The Scheme area is defined as within the Milton Keynes Unitary Authority administrative boundary. 

  3. Holders of a valid English National Concessionary Travel Scheme Permit, if issued by Milton Keynes City Council, and holders of an All in 1 MK pass, may also use the MK Connect Demand Responsive Transport, from boarding points within the Scheme Area to destination points within the boundary of Milton Keynes Unitary Authority. 

  4. Holders of a valid English National Concessionary Travel Scheme Permit may also use a Demand Responsive Transport operated by Ability CiC from boarding points within the Scheme Area. 

  5. The Council will issue its own passes which must be produced for a concessionary fare to apply. 

  6. The Scheme will provide free travel on all eligible local bus services as defined under the Travel Concessions (Eligible Services) (Amendment) Order 2009 operating to, from and within the Scheme area (subject to the restriction defined in paragraph 2.3); and discounted travel within the Scheme area. 

  7. The free travel concession will be provided to eligible senior and disabled persons, at all times, except whenever such person boards an eligible local bus service between 00:00 and 09:29 on Monday to Friday mornings, whenever that day is not a Public Holiday. 

  8. Whenever an eligible person boards an eligible local bus service between 23:01 and 23:59 on Monday to Friday evenings, whenever that day is not a Public Holiday, the free travel concession will be provided only if both (a) the person holds a pass issued by Milton Keynes City Council, and (b) the journey is within the Scheme area. 

  9. The discounted travel concession will be provided to eligible disabled persons, between 00:00 and 09:29 on Mondays to Fridays, and to eligible holders of All-in-1 MK cards, at all times. 

  10. The discretionary, free “City Hopper” concession will be provided to all persons, without time limitation, provided travel is within, but not beyond, the designated City Hopper Zone. 

  11. All operators of eligible services have a right of admission to the Scheme; the Council has powers to oblige operators to participate in the scheme. 

  12. Under the terms of the 2000 Act an operator may not withdraw from providing the free travel concession on any eligible services within the Scheme area. 

Reimbursement Arrangements 

  1. The Scheme will be operated to comply with the Travel Concession Scheme Regulations 1986 and subsequent Acts, Regulations, and guidance, which imposes an objective on the authorities to ensure that bus operators, both individually and in aggregate, are financially no better and no worse off because of their participation in the Scheme. 

  2. All operators of eligible services will be reimbursed for their participation in the scheme in respect of the income foregone in accordance with the current arrangements for reimbursement (Schedule 3) for both the statutory and discretionary concessions. 

  3. Reimbursement shall apply for each eligible person commencing an eligible journey beginning within the scheme area. 

  4. To be eligible for reimbursement, operators must provide such data as required by the Council, and as defined in Schedule 3. If an operator fails to provide such information or data as requested, record each journey as specified, or allow access for surveys as required, then the Council may at its discretion defer all or part of any payment otherwise due to the operator until such omission is fully rectified or may reimburse the operator based on such estimated reimbursement using the best information available. 

  5. In calculating the reimbursement due to an operator, the Council will consider any data supplied by the operator if it can be shown that this is more accurate than the standard method and is more likely to enable the Council to meet the objective that bus operators should be no better or worse off because of participation of the Scheme. If agreement is reached between an operator and the Council, a different method may be applied in respect of calculating reimbursement. 

  6. To ensure that 3.1 is adhered to, the Council reserves the right to alter the reimbursement applicable to any individual service where the Council, acting reasonably, believes that the nature of that service or the fares charged on that service do or could distort the general application of the standard methodology as applied to the operator’s other services. 

  7. If a service fails to operate in accordance with the registered timetable, the Council may adjust the reimbursement due to reflect the disruption caused. 

  8. Subject to providing all appropriate information, the Council will make a payment to operators within one month of receipt of the information to the amount calculated as due to the operator for the appropriate month. 

  9. Payment will be based on the actual number of journeys recorded for each calendar month on an operator’s eligible services in the Scheme area and the agreed reimbursement rate for each eligible service, unless agreed otherwise. 

  10. The costs of providing any additional capacity required to meet demand created by the Scheme will be determined in accordance with Schedule 3. 

Formal Procedures 

  1. If any operator believes that they would be prejudicially affected by the proposed Scheme you may under Section 150 (4) of the Transport Act 2000 (as amended) apply to the Secretary of State for Transport for a variation of the proposed Scheme on the grounds that there are special reasons why the provisions of the Scheme would be inappropriate with respect to one or more local services provided by their company. 

  2. An application, under Section 98 (4A) of the Transport Act 1985 and under Section 150 (3) of the Transport Act 2000 (as amended), must be made in writing not later than 56 days after the date on which the proposed Scheme comes into operation. An application may not be made unless your company has previously given notice to the Council of its intention to make such an application. 

  3. Correspondence with the Council in relation to the overall Scheme should be addressed to the Strategic Lead, Passenger Transport at the address given in 2.1 above. 

All data and other information required by the Council should be addressed to: 

Transport Officer – Concessionary Travel 

Passenger Transport 

Milton Keynes City Council 

Civic Offices 

1 Saxon Gate East 

Central Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ. 

  1. Correspondence with the Secretary of State should be addressed to: 

Secretary of State for Transport 

Great Minster House 

33 Horseferry Road 

LONDON SW1P 4DR 

  1. On commencing the provision of eligible services in the Scheme, an operator shall provide to the Council details of the name, address, email, telephone, and fax numbers of its official contact for communications in relation to these arrangements. The operator shall inform the Council in writing of any changes. Any notice or communication sent to this address shall be deemed to be duly served on the recipient. If an operator has failed to give notice in writing to the Council of such an official contact, then the Council may send any notice or other communication to any address set out in the most recent correspondence from the operator concerned, which shall be deemed to be its contact address. 

 

Schedule 1 – Eligible Persons and Nature of Concessions 

Class of Eligible Persons  

Nature of Concession to be Provided  

Elderly Persons  

(As defined in section 146 Transport Act 2000 as amended by SI 2010/459 The Travel Concessions (Eligibility) (England) Order 2010)  

On production of a statutory travel concession permit (as defined in The Concessionary Bus Travel (Permit) (England) Regulations SI 2008 no 417) a person shall be carried without charge on services to which the Scheme applies, provided that the actual time of boarding falls between the following hours: 

 

  1. Mondays to Fridays (except when the day is a Bank Holiday): 09.30 to 23.00  

  1. Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays: All day until end of normal services. 

 

Additional benefit for all holders of a statutory ENCTS permit issued by Milton Keynes City Council only: 

 

  1. A person shall be carried without charge to any scheduled alighting point within the area defined on Monday to Friday (except when the day is a Public Holiday), provided the actual time of boarding is between 23:01 and 23:59; 

  1. A person who has booked a trip with the MK Connect DRT service shall be carried without charge, provided: 

  1. The trip commences within the 'boarding area' defined in para 2.3, and; 

  1. The destination is within the 'destination area' defined in para 2.3, and; 

  1. Boarding falls between the following hours: 

  1. Mondays to Saturdays: 09:30 to 23:00; 

  1. Sundays: 09:00 to 18:00. 

  1. A person who has booked a trip with the Ability Demand Responsive Transport service shall be carried without charge, provided: 

  1. The trip commences within the 'boarding area' defined in para 2.4, and; 

  1. The destination is within the 'destination area' defined in para 2.4, and 

  1. Boarding falls within the defined statutory hours of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme. 

 

Additional benefit for holders of a disabled person’s statutory ENCTS permit issued by Milton Keynes City Council only: 

 

  1. A person shall be carried to any scheduled alighting point within the area defined for a fare of 50p per trip, on Monday to Friday (except when the day is a Public Holiday), provided the actual time of boarding is between 00:00 and 09:29. 

 

Disabled Persons 

(As defined in section 146 Transport Act 2000)  

Juniors 

Anyone aged between 5 and 18 who is the holder of a valid All in 1 MK card 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On production of a valid All in 1 MK Card, a person shall be carried on any local bus service to any scheduled alighting point at any time within the Scheme area defined: 

 

  1. for a fare of £1.20 per trip, where the card holder does not hold a valid weekly pass or 4-weekly pass, or 

  1. for a day return fare of £2.20, where the card holder does not hold a valid weekly pass or 4-weekly pass, or 

  1. if a weekly pass is purchased on the bus for a fare of £11.00, on request, or 

  1. if a 4-weekly pass is purchased on the bus for a fare of £36.00, on request, or 

  1. free of additional charge if the person also produces a valid return ticket, weekly pass, or 4-weekly pass. 

 

On production of a valid All in 1 MK card, a person shall be carried on the MK Connect Demand Responsive Transport service, for a fare of £1.20 per trip, provided: 

 

  1. The trip commences within the 'boarding area' defined in para 2.3, and; 

  1. The destination is within the 'destination area' defined in para 2.3, and; 

  1. Boarding falls between the following hours: 

  1. Mondays to Saturdays: 06:00 to 23:00; 

  1. Sundays and Public Holidays: 09:00 to 18:00. 

 

City Hopper 

All persons 

(Valid only on local bus services operated by Arriva, Stagecoach, Uno, Red Rose Travel and Z & S Transport. Not valid on Demand Responsive Travel services) 

Any person boarding a local bus service, by any participating local operator, may travel without payment of a fare, provided: 

 

  1. The passenger boards the service at any bus stop at Milton Keynes Central railway station, on Midsummer Boulevard, on Avebury Boulevard or on Lower Ninth Street, within a zone bounded by Milton Keynes Central railway station and Marlborough Gate, and; 

  1. The passenger alights the service at any bus stop at Milton Keynes Central railway station, on Midsummer Boulevard, on Avebury Boulevard or on Lower Ninth Street, within a zone bounded by Milton Keynes Central railway station and Marlborough Gate. 

 

 

Eligible Senior and Disabled Residents - Statutory Travel permit  

Applications 

  • Eligible senior and disabled residents of Milton Keynes will be required to apply for and obtain a statutory travel permit as specified by the Concessionary Bus Travel (Pass) (England) Regulations 2008. They will be required to provide a completed application form, a passport sized photograph, proof of residence and proof of age or disability as specified on the Council website: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk and in the Council leaflet. 

  • There is no charge for the initial card. Damaged, lost, or stolen Cards will be replaced on application providing reasonable care was taken with the original and no fraud or other misuse is involved. The Council charges an administration fee of £10.00 for replacement cards. However, where a card has been stolen, if a crime reference number is quoted, the administration fee will be waived. 

Travel 

  • Permit holders must give details of the journey required with a destination point to the driver of the service, if so requested. If the vehicle is not fitted with the relevant ITSO-compliant Ticket Machine, a ticket will be issued for each journey made which must be retained and shown on inspection. If a permit is not shown, not valid, defaced, or travel commences before the relevant time full fare may be charged by the driver and such fares shall not be refunded to the passenger. 

Eligible Junior Residents and Students – All in 1 MK card  

Applications 

  • To obtain discounted travel within the Scheme area, all eligible persons must hold a valid All in 1 MK card, as specified on the Council website www.milton-keynes.gov.uk, and in the Council leaflet “The Milton Keynes All in 1 MK card – Application Information”. Eligible junior residents of Milton Keynes will be required to apply for and obtain a valid All in 1 MK card. 

  • Eligible junior applicants who attend a school, college or training establishment in Milton Keynes will be required to submit a completed application form and a passport sized photograph to their school, college, or training establishment for certification. After certification, the application form and photograph are submitted to the Council for final approval and submission of the All in 1 card permit. 

  • Eligible junior residents who do not attend a school, college or training establishment in Milton Keynes will need to apply through the Young People’s Careers Information, Advice and Guidance service in Milton Keynes. 

Travel 

  • Permit holders must give details of the journey required with a destination point to the driver of the service, if so requested. Operators will allow discounted travel only on production of a current valid All in 1 MK card. Travel is only permitted, at the discount rate, wholly within the Scheme area. On local bus services, but not on Demand Responsive Transport services, where an All in 1 card holder also produces a valid weekly or 4-weekly ticket issued by any participating operator no additional fare is payable. Drivers must record all permits shown. 

  • All in 1 MK Cardholders who travel beyond the defined boundary of Milton Keynes Unitary Authority will be subject to the full fare payable for the whole journey, unless the cardholder has purchased a valid ticket or is in possession of a valid pass that covers the portion of the journey that is outside of the Scheme area boundary. 

  • A valid All in 1 MK Card will be issued, for a fee of £5.00, to eligible persons for first time applicants. Damaged, lost, or stolen Cards will be replaced on application providing reasonable care was taken with the original and no fraud or other misuse is involved. The Council charges an administration fee of £10.00 for replacement cards. However, where a card has been stolen, if a crime reference number is quoted, the administration fee will be waived. 

City Hopper 

Travel 

  • Travel is valid only on local services that are operated, on a voluntary basis, by Arriva, Stagecoach, Uno, Red Rose Travel and Z & S Transport. The concession is not expected to continue beyond Sunday, 31st March 2024. 

  • Passengers must board at any bus stop at Milton Keynes Central railway station, on Midsummer Boulevard, on Avebury Boulevard or on Lower Ninth Street, within a zone bounded by Milton Keynes Central railway station and Marlborough Gate. Passengers must state their destination. A ticket must be issued. Provided the destination stated is also within this zone, the passenger may travel to the stated destination without charge. 

  • Passengers who travel beyond stops within the zone defined in para.10 will be subject to the full fare payable for the whole journey, unless the passenger is in possession of a valid ticket or pass the covers the portion of the journey that is outside of the defined zone.  

Schedule 2 – Eligible Services 

The Scheme will include provision of free travel on all eligible local bus services and specified Demand Responsive Transport services, as defined under the Travel Concessions (Eligible Services) (Amendment) Order 2009 operating to, from and within the Scheme area; and provision of discounted travel wholly within the Scheme area at the times stated elsewhere. Journeys operated by National Express are excluded from the scheme. 

Schedule 3 – Reimbursement Arrangements 

Data Requirements 

When an operator commences operation of eligible services, it shall supply to the Council, together with the service registration, all relevant fares and fare tables and a list of the ticket types valid for travel on such services within the Scheme area. Operators shall inform the Council when eligible services cease, of all timetable changes on eligible services and when fares on eligible services change, providing all relevant revised details. All other data required to allow the calculation of accurate reimbursement in accordance with the following shall be submitted. 

The operator - including that of the MK Connect DRT service, for (i) and (iv) only, and Ability CiC, for (i) only - will provide the Council with a return within 14 days of the end of each calendar month, stating for each service operated: 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ recorded and manually recorded concessionary journeys made by senior and disabled ENCTS pass holders commencing either between 09:30 and 23:00 on weekdays, or at any time at weekends and on Public Holidays; 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ recorded and manually recorded concessionary journeys made by disabled ENCTS pass holders boarding before 09:30 on weekdays; 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ recorded and manually recorded concessionary journeys made by any ENCTS pass holder permit holders boarding between 23:01 and midnight on weekdays; 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ and paper single trip tickets sold to All in 1 MK card holders; 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ and paper day return tickets sold to All in 1 MK card holders; 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ and paper weekly passes sold to All in 1 MK card holders; 

  • the numbers of both ‘smart’ and paper 4-weekly passes sold to All in 1 MK card holders; 

  • the number of trips made by All in 1 MK card holders who also present a day return ticket, weekly pass, or 4-weekly pass, excluding sales; 

  • the number of City Hopper tickets issued (the Council reserves the right to request evidence of tickets sold by boarding point and stated destination). 

Average Fare 

For the purpose of calculating the average fare, the operator shall submit to the Council a statement containing the following: 

Within 14 days of the end of each calendar month: 

  • The total number of passenger journeys made on eligible services, starting within the Scheme area, on which concessions are available. 

  • The total amount of fares received by the operator from the passengers referred to above (whether received on or off- bus).The total number of passenger journeys made on eligible services, starting within the Scheme area, by eligible persons in each of the concession categories set out in Schedule 1.

For January, February and March 2024 and after 3 months following any service fare change, for each eligible service operated in the Scheme area, the total number and value of adult: 

  • Single tickets sold on the whole of each eligible service. 
  • Return tickets sold on the whole of each eligible service. 
  • Day tickets sold on the whole of each eligible service. 
  • Weekly tickets sold on the whole of each eligible service.

A journey is defined as a trip between two points without a change of vehicle or service. 

Determining Fare Values 

Fare values will be determined by calculating the weighted average adult equivalent fare (AAEF) value for tickets sold on the operator’s eligible services to adult fare-paying passengers. The calculation of the AAEF for each operator will be based on the total revenue collected from adult ticket sales, divided by the total number of adult passengers boarding. The AAEF calculation will therefore include single, return, day, and weekly tickets (where sold). 

Number of Concessionary Journeys 

  • For the purpose of calculating the number of concessionary passenger journeys, ongoing validation of eligible journeys, reimbursement calculations and claims require the issue of a zero-value ticket on all journeys to each concessionary passenger, unless a fully functioning ITSO-compliant ticket machine is in place.  

  • The origin of each eligible journey must be recorded accurately for the correct identification of the Travel Concession Authority responsible for reimbursement.  

  • All operators are required to provide summary information of the number of eligible journeys made within 14 days of the end of each calendar month based on tickets issued or accepted. This should be broken down by service, category of permit holder, and companions where applicable. 

  • Where an operator can record journeys on an ITSO-compliant ticket machine, in any single reporting period, the proportion of total eligible journeys with either a senior or a disabled ENCTS pass, that are recorded manually, should be no more than 3% of the total number of journeys with an ENCTS pass that are recorded. 

  • Where the 3% threshold referred to in para.9 is exceeded, the operator must provide an explanation. If no such explanation is received, any claim for manually recorded journeys may be disallowed, wholly or partially, at the Council’s discretion. 

  • In cases where there is a situation beyond the operator’s control that means they are unable to record accurately, the operator must notify us in writing as soon as they are aware of the issue in order that a solution can be agreed. If we are not notified it will not be considered, and claims may be disallowed, wholly or partially, at the Council’s discretion. 

  • Operators not currently able to accept smartcards should be aware this will be a requirement of all future supported services and is a national requirement for ENCTS claims. Operators who are presently unable to supply this information must confirm to the Council in writing by no later than Friday, 28 April 2023, and must indicate when they expect to be compliant. 

On-Bus Surveys 

  • On-bus sample surveys will be required for checking the validation of permit use and ticket issue.  

  • An operator shall allow the Council’s officers or appointed agents to have free access to the operator's vehicles for the purpose of: - 

  1. surveying, counting, or estimating the number of passengers (whether generally or of any description) and the fares paid by those passengers, and; 

  1. obtaining information on other matters relating to the journeys made by passengers who are eligible to receive travel concessions and necessary to the calculation of reimbursement payments by the Council. 

  • The survey data may be utilised by the Council in calculating the reimbursement payable to the operator and/or validating the data supplied by the operator for the purpose of calculating reimbursement. 

  • The information obtained from passengers may include the following: 

  1. Whether or not the passenger is a concessionary passenger, and the category of concession. 

  1. If the passenger is not a concessionary passenger, whether the passenger is an adult, a child, or an elderly person. 

  1. If the passenger has paid on-bus (in which case the fare paid, and the type of ticket bought) or is using a pre-paid ticket (and the type of this ticket). 

  1. Where the passenger boarded the bus and where they will be alighting. 

  1. Identification of pass or ticket fraud or misuse on the relevant services. 

  1. Such other information as the Council may from time to time consider it necessary or desirable to obtain to enable the Council to reimburse each operator in accordance with the Scheme. 

Determining Reimbursement 

Senior and Disabled holders of England National Concessionary Travel Scheme cards: (note: 17(i) to 17(iv) are applicable to all operators except the operator of the MK Connect DRT service, and Ability CiC, 17(v) is applicable to the operator of the MK Connect DRT service only, 17(vi) is applicable to Ability CiC only). 

Free travel reimbursement - The operator shall be reimbursed at a rate that is determined by the Department for Transport’s Concessionary Bus Travel Reimbursement Calculator (2023-24 version). However, because of reduced demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for each service operated, the number of trips applied for calculate reimbursement will be determined as follows: 

  • For trips made between 1 April 2023 and 30 April 2023, the higher of (i) actual trips recorded and (ii) 80% of trips recorded between 1 April 2019 and 30 April 2019; 

  • For trips made between 1 May 2023 and 31 May 2023, the higher of (i) actual trips recorded and (ii) 75% of trips recorded between 1 May 2019 and 31 May 2019; 

  • For trips made between 1 June 2023 and 31 July 2023, the higher of (i) actual trips recorded and (ii) 70% of trips recorded between 1 June 2019 and 31 July 2019; 

  • For trips made between 1 August 2023 and 30 September 2023, the higher of (i) actual trips recorded and (ii) 65% of trips recorded between 1 August 2019 and 30 September 2019; 

  • For trips made between 1 October 2023 and 30 November 2023, the higher of (i) actual trips recorded and (ii) 60% of trips recorded between 1 October 2019 and 30 November 2019; 

  • For trips made between 1 December 2023 and 31 March 2024, actual trips recorded.

Where a service was introduced, or enhanced, between 1 March 2019 and 28 February 2020, reimbursement between will be as described in 17(i), except the pre-March 2020 baseline period stated (where stated) will be replaced by trips recorded across the first two full calendar months of operation, calculated pro-rata. 

Where a service was introduced since 1 March 2020, reimbursement will be based on actual trips recorded. 

Discounted travel reimbursement, applicable for holders of a “disabled” ENCTS permit, pre-0930 on weekdays: - For each eligible “disabled” pass holder who qualifies for this concession, a 50p fare per trip is payable, provided the whole trip is entirely within the boundary of Milton Keynes UA. The operator will retain the fare paid by the pass holder. The operator will disclose to The Council the number of tickets sold under this concession. The Council will reimburse the operator a ‘top-up’ equivalent to the rate determined in (i), less the 50p fare collected, from Saturday, 1 April 2023. 

Free travel reimbursement (applicable to the operator of the MK Connect DRT service only) - For each journey made by an eligible ENCTS pass holder, provided the journey fulfils all the criteria stated in Section 2 Para 2.3 and in Schedule 1 Para iv, the Council will reimburse the operator the sum of £2.80.  

Free travel reimbursement (applicable to the Ability CIC DRT service only) - For each journey made by an eligible ENCTS pass holder, provided the journey fulfils all the criteria stated in Section 2 Para 2.4 and in Schedule 1 Para v, the Council will reimburse the operator 59% of the total ‘shadow fare’ total declared.  

All in 1 MK card holders: Reimbursement to all participating local bus operators, and to the operator of the MK Connect Demand Responsive Transport service, will be at a gross fixed rate of £1.90 per trip from Saturday, 1 April 2023, until further notice, subject to the following assumptions and revenue deductions: 

  • Single trip tickets - Gross reimbursement to each operator will be based on the total number of single-trip tickets sold during each calendar month period. The total revenue collected by the operator from the sales of these tickets will be deducted. 

  • Day return tickets - Gross reimbursement to each operator will be based on the total number of day return trips recorded, including sales, during each calendar month period. The total revenue collected by the operator from the sales of these tickets will be deducted. 

  • Weekly and 4-weekly tickets - Where a valid weekly or 4-weekly ticket, issued by any operator, is presented with a valid All-in-1 MK pass, reimbursement to each operator will be paid at a flat rate of £1.90 per journey recorded. However, the operator must be able to demonstrate that period passes can be recorded separately from other ticket/passes recorded. Each period pass sold will count as one trip made. All revenue collected by the operator from the sale of each period pass, will be deducted from total reimbursement to the operator. 

City Hopper: Reimbursement to all participating operators will be at a fixed rate of £2.00 per trip from Sunday, 1 October 2023, subject to the number of valid tickets sold. 

Determining Reimbursement – Fixed Pot 

If agreement is reached between an operator and the Council, and if it enables the Council to meet its objectives that the bus operator is neither ‘no better nor worse off’ because of participation of the Scheme, then a different method of reimbursement may be applied in respect of calculating reimbursement. For example, payment of a fixed pot may be applied if it can be shown that this is more accurate than the standard method described above. 

Review of Reimbursement 

At the end of each financial year the Council shall review the reimbursement calculations made during the previous financial year in accordance with these arrangements. Any such review shall be concluded within 3 months. 

Following the review, if it is determined by the Council that the amount of reimbursement paid during the previous financial year: 

  • Should have been higher - the Council shall pay the difference to the operator within 3 months of the date of recalculation. 

  • Should have been less - the Council shall either: 

  • Deduct by equal instalments the amount of over-reimbursement from the next three payments to be made, and/or; 

  • If the next three payments are not sufficient to re-pay such over-reimbursement, demand in writing such over-reimbursement from the operator and the operator shall be obliged to make such repayment within 30 days of receiving such demand. 

Additional Costs 

Under the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) “Concessionary Travel for older and disabled people: guidance on reimbursing bus operators (England),” an operator is entitled to claim additional costs incurred because of this concessionary travel scheme. Additional costs will be determined using the applicable version of the Department for Transport’s “Concessionary Bus Travel Reimbursement Calculator” and using model constraints agreed with the operator. 

To claim additional costs, an operator must demonstrate to the Council #hat the operator has necessarily incurred additional operating costs attributable to an increase in the number or the capacity of vehicles used in providing services to meet the extra demand created by the availability of concessions, and/or where an ENCTS concessionary pass holder would usually travel carried a distance more than 3.5 miles from any point within Milton Keynes UA. 

Any operator claiming additional reimbursement payments shall, in making such a claim, provide the Council with sufficient supporting information to satisfy the criteria set out including, but not limited to: 

  • Details of the additional number or capacity of vehicles used in providing eligible services because of concessions being available; 

  • Information demonstrating that the additional capacity was required on those services, and is not spare capacity, and showing the extent to which the reason for requiring such additional capacity was due to the availability of concessionary travel; 

  • Details of the cost of additional vehicles or additional capacity and details of how these have been utilised, less any benefit realised by the operator from disposal (or other use) of vehicles previously used to provide such services and any other benefits e.g., generated commercial patronage; 

  • Any other information that the operator believes is relevant to a claim for additional reimbursement payments arising from providing additional vehicles or capacity, 

  • Evidence that concessionary pass holders are normally expected to be carried a distance more than 3.5 miles from any point within Milton Keynes UA 

The Council shall use all data provided by the operator in conjunction with any further information that the Council may itself have (including, but not limited to survey and timetable data) to assess the additional costs incurred by the operator and assess the additional reimbursement payments to be made. 

Payment of additional reimbursement shall be paid within 3 months of the date of calculation by the Council. 

Hot-listing 

Operators are required to work with scheme administrators during 2023/24 to introduce an agreed ‘Hot-listing’ process to be used throughout for concessionary travel and any commercial ticketing schemes. 

As part of the ‘Hot-listing’ process, each operator that accepts ITSO-compliant passes will be responsible for ensuring that details of hot-listed passes are downloaded to their back-office system and reaching their ticket machines. 

Milton Keynes City Council will not reimburse operators for any ‘smart’ journey recorded on any hot-listed pass. Journeys made within 24 hours of the hot listed pass being seen on an ETM will be honoured if the pass has not been blocked. 

 

Privacy Notice – Concessionary Fares

Everything we do with information about people, such as how we collect it and who we share it with, has to comply with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that comes into force in May 2018. A key part of this is being open about how we use information and what rights you have in respect of information we hold about you.

As a Council, we will ensure that personal information such as your name, address or account details are not disclosed, sold to or shared with any third parties without your consent unless we are required to do so by law. We will not pass information on to any third parties other than those responsible for processing and providing information and services relevant to your enquiry (including contractors carrying out services on behalf of the Milton Keynes Council authorities). Milton Keynes Council is registered with the Information Commissioner and complies with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations.

This notice sets out how and why we collect, store, protect, process and share the data you give to us to help us to provide residents with discounted or free bus travel. What information do we hold For Older Persons Bus Cards, Disabled Persons Bus Cards and All in 1 MK cards we collect:

· your full name
· address
· date of birth
· telephone number
· email address
· signature
· signature of parent or guardian (All in 1 MK card only)

For Disabled Bus Cards we also collect:

· Information on the nature of the disability (according to the eligibility criteria)

For All in 1 MK Cards we also collect:

 · Verification that the applicant is a full time student at a school/college/training establishment in Milton Keynes

We also ask for a passport quality photo which will be shown on the Older Persons and Disabled Persons Bus cards or All in 1 MK card. This is for identification and fraud purposes.

The Older Persons and Disabled Persons Bus Passes are Smart Cards. This enables data about usage to be captured, stored and shared.

For replacement Bus Passes or All in 1 MK, data such as names and address, dates of birth will be collected in order for us to verify whether a pass can be issued.

Further data may be required after the application has been completed if details change.

What will we use your data for?
We use your data to confirm your eligibility for a Bus Card. For Older Persons Bus Cards we decide this by age and residency within Milton Keynes, so we need your address and date of birth. For Disabled Bus Cards we look additionally at disability criteria, so we need evidence of your disability to decide whether you qualify for a Bus Pass. For All in 1 MK cards we additionally look at attendance at a school, college or training establishment in Milton Keynes.

Who we share information with and why

· Authorised Milton Keynes Council staff
· Data we collect is uploaded into a third party database operated by Unicard, who process and sends out Bus Cards – you can read their privacy notice here: https://concessioncard.net/cc_Terms-Conditions.jsp
· For purposes of Criminal and Fraud investigations data may be made available to government/benefit agencies and/or police
· Police references may be checked for the purposes of verifying a stolen or lost property number

Data about your travel using the Bus Card is also held, as required by ITSO https://www.itso.org.uk/ and the National Concessionary Bus Scheme. This helps to calculate the reimbursement payments of concessionary fares to operators and in some instances other local authorities.

We participate in the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative, a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for matching for each exercise. We will give a Milton Keynes Councillor personal data about you if you ask us to, or if he/she reasonably needs it to carry out his/her duties, but the Councillor must not use it for other purposes.

What is the legal basis for us to process your data?
Milton Keynes Council provides a Concessionary Bus Card scheme as a Public Authority. The Council has a statutory duty to perform this function in legislation through the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and the Transport Act 2000 (as modified by the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-travelconcession[1]authorities-on-the-england-national-concessionary-travel-scheme

We can only issue you with a Bus Pass if you consent to us collecting and using your data as outlined.

How long we keep hold of information for
We only keep information for as long as it is needed. This will be based on either a legal requirement (where a law says we have to keep information for a specific period of time) or accepted business practice. This is set out in our retention schedule.

What rights you have
You have various rights around the data we hold about you.

· Right of access (to receive a copy of your personal data)
· Right to rectification (to request data is corrected inaccurate) · Right to erasure (to request that data is deleted)
· Right to restrict processing (to request we don’t use your data in a certain way)
· Right to data portability (in some cases, you can ask to receive a copy of your data in a commonly-used electronic format so that it can be given to someone else)
· Right to object (generally to make a complaint about any aspect of our use of your data)
· Right to have explained if there will be any automated decision-making, including profiling, based on your data and for the logic behind this to be explained to you

Any such request can be submitted to the Data Protection Officer. Whether we can agree to your request will depend on the specific circumstances and if we cannot then we will explain the reasons why.

If we are processing your information based on you giving us consent to do so, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Doing so may mean we are unable to provide the service you are hoping to receive and the implications of you giving or withdrawing your consent will be explained at the time.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of how your information has been collected and/or used, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Officer. You can also report concerns to the national regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office. Their details can be found on their website: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/

Data Protection Officer Contact Details Email: data.protection@milton-keynes.gov.uk

Tel. No: 01908 254767

Post: Data Protection, Milton Keynes Council, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes, MK9 3HS