The Free Travel Scheme and, in particular, the Free Travel Companion Pass which was introduced in 1990 are the principal means by which my Department assists people with disabilities with regard to their travel requirements. Under the arrangements currently in force, certain incapacitated people, who are medically unfit to travel alone, may qualify for a Free Travel Companion Pass which enables the holder to be accompanied free of charge by a person over age 16 when travelling. The categories eligible for receipt of the Companion Pass include recipients of Blind Person's Pension from my Department, recipients of Invalidity Pension who are medically certified as being permanently wheelchair bound, and recipients of Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance from the health boards who have been medically certified as being unfit to travel alone.
Expenditure on the Free Travel Scheme, including the Companion Pass, is estimated to be £31 million this year with a total of some 470,000 people benefiting.