Companion bus passes

Check eligibility and apply for a companion bus pass to travel with a disabled person.

If you need someone to help you when you travel on public transport you can apply for a companion pass 'Orange stripe + C'. The pass allows people who are unable to travel alone on public transport to have a companion travel with them free of charge in Portsmouth.

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Who is eligible

To be eligible to apply for the companion pass, you must already hold a disabled person’s bus pass or an older person’s bus pass from Portsmouth City Council (or be eligible for one).

You can also find out if you’re eligible for a disabled person’s bus pass and if you’re eligible for an older person’s bus pass.

You are eligible to apply if you are five years old and above and are unable to travel unaccompanied, based on your disability rather than your age, and you meet the eligibility criteria.

The companion is not issued a pass of their own, the pass is issued to the person with the disability and is identified by a C+ on the pass so the companion does not always need to be the same person.

You can only have one concessionary bus pass – if you hold a valid bus pass with us the pass will be cancelled and a companion pass will be ordered.

It is important that the companion pass is used by those who really need it. If you have a pass, it is because a healthcare professional has said that you cannot travel alone.

Companions only get free travel when they travel with you if the journey starts in Portsmouth. They can’t travel free on their own.

Documents you need to apply

To apply for a pass, you’ll need to provide the following documents:

  • proof of age
  • proof that you live in Portsmouth (such as a council tax bill, tenancy agreement, electoral registration or utility bill)
  • a passport-quality colour photograph showing show your head and shoulders only, without headgear (except for religious or medical reasons), facing forward, and alone
  • your current older person’s bus pass, or disabled person’s bus pass, or the qualifying documents if you don’t already have one.

You will also need to provide one of the following documents:

  • War Pensioners Mobility Allowance
  • a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions confirming that the applicant is currently in receipt of the higher rate of care and the higher rate of care mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Personal Independence Payment at eight points or above against either the PIP ‘moving around’ or ‘communicating verbally’ activities and enhanced rate of care
  • Personal Independence Payment at eight points or above against the ‘planning and following a journey’ activity and enhanced rate of care
  • evidence you receive Attendance Allowance at the higher rate

You must also provide a report from a healthcare professional (such as a physiotherapist, podiatrist, nurse etc).

The report must include:

  • the healthcare professional’s contact details
  • confirmation of your disabilities and your inability to travel alone

Using the companion bus pass

The companion pass is not allocated to a specific person, so it can be used by anybody who is travelling with you. Only one companion may travel free on any one journey, and you must both get on and leave the bus at the same points. The companion may be a child aged 11 or over as long as they are able to provide assistance to the companion bus pass holder.

If your journey starts outside Portsmouth, your companion may need to pay the full fare. The city boundary points can be broadly described by the following landmarks:

  • Mother Kelly’s fish and chip shop on Southampton Road towards Portchester
  • The George Inn on London Road heading north
  • Havant Road and Rectory Road junction towards Bedhampton
  • Jubilee Avenue at Rowland Road towards Portchester

During 2020 we carried out a 12-month trial which assessed applicants' eligibility for a companion pass based on their disability rather than their income.

The information we collected from this trial has enabled us to gain a better understanding of customers' disability and has allowed us to offer better support with bus travel requirements. The change to the eligibility criteria has been agreed and you can read the report online.

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