bad luck DH !

I do sympathise with that ninathenana It must be very frustrating to have the goalposts moved when you are so close"to scoring" as with the state pension.

Actually Nina you sound quite pleased about it! I've had mine for twelve years now and only used it once. I walk or cycle into town. Don't like smelly old buses.

I rarely use the local buses but might once Christmas gets closer and parking in the city centre becomes even worse, but I get fantastic value from it whenever I am in London and I can also use it for cross country Stagecoach buses e.g. to Oxford or Cambridge which is a great saving on the petrol+"park and ride" parking. DH and I use our bus passes when we go to Stratford (free parking, free bus) and I use it when visiting DD in Birmingham if I have chosen not to drive up,. Long live the bus pass!

gracesmum I will only use mine for park n ride. I was annoyed to find that you pay parking and bus fare for park n ride in Oxford. We don't pay to park, just for the bus here. Which is £1.50 return.

I regarded it as one of the few good things about reaching 60. It was just DH keep saying "Getting on now dear, soon have your bus pass" even though it was light hearted it was ceasing to be funny.

The parking bit used to be free at Oxford Park&Ride. I wonder when that changed?

I had a letter recently about my pension, and therefore bus pass eligibility.

I think I have to wait until 2024. Perhaps by then there might actually be some buses. Currently if you want to get a bus to the nearest town there is only one on a Wednesday. And I mean ONE, as in one there, one back again.

Maybe I have got the parking charge wrong - I am sure I can remember paying at the Peartree Interchange when Sister and BIl were here from Canada some years ago, but have used the X5 for free ever since. [forgetful] emoticon

I have not bothered to get a bus pass because I get travel sick on buses, even on quite short distances. When I go to Oxford I park in the Seacourt Park and Ride because it is only about a mile or so from the town centre so within an easy walking distance.

My Pass always gets me a free ride into Oxford from park and ride. Unfortunately one now has to pay parking fees at all the Oxforf park and rides, but it's pretty reasonable.

I use the Oxford Park and Ride grumpa ...I'll keep a watch out for you next time.

I was utterly miserable on reaching 60, four years ago, (my husband had recently left me and my family was far away) so I sat down to think of the positives. The only one I could come up with was a bus pass so I applied. It's been a boon! Now that I've retired and no longer need to use the car for work, I rarely use it at all. There is a bus stop at the end of my road and I use it. I even went for a girly night out in Exeter with my pass though it felt little incongruous. I haven't yet found a park and ride that accepts it.

Our local u3a does 'days out on a bus pass'. They meet at the bus station and go to places in the Peak District. Haven't done it yet but will do one day. Especially as the bus to the bus station stops at the end of my road.

We have a very good bus service in Ashford (Kent one). Use mine when in London -much better than tube as can see the 'sights' too. Recommend book Bus Pass Britain for some great ideas.

I had been looking forward to receiving my bus-pass on my 60th birthday but also due due to the change to retirement age I had to wait for an extra 6ths,when the day came I was out at the bus stop at just gone 9-30am for the first bus at the top of my Road and was delighted to use my pass for the first time,we have a fantastic service here on The Wirral we can go over to Chester/Southport/Liverpool and as far as North Wales on the buses ferries and trains I am surprised they are not used more really you can bet if they where ever stopped the people who did not use them would also be up inarms a definate case of use them or loose them I think.

What a long wait - it seems so unfair. I only had to wait an extra few months.

You can use them on the park and rides in Durham, and you can catch the cathedral bus with them.

As I do JenD. The fast Newcastle bus stops at the bottom of my hill and it's bliss. I get the early bus and pay 50p. I just wish New College students didn't feel it is their right to put their feet on seats. No hunting for a parking space and no grim multistory car park lifts.

Yes, I use my bus pass every day.I am widowed and don't have a car. The pass is my total lifeline in order to get out and still be able to join in U3A Activities, continue to Volunteer at a group connected with my previous work and keep doing my food shopping etc.
Without it I would be extremely limited and would very quickly become cut off from other people, friends, family and society in general.
I am on a fixed income and would not be able to afford the bus fares needed to continue trying to lead a reasonable life.

We use our bus passes quite a lot here in London , we never take our cars into town what with the congestion charge and parking. Its great we can just hop on tube or bus all over the place, we visit the usual touristy sites, shopping trips occasionally and the odd hospital visit. It certainly saves a packet, we also used it on a short visit to Blackpool.

I got mine last month! (Sixty one and three quarters being the current eligible age )
Previously I used to get the train along the south coast into Brighton as driving through the city is a nightmare and parking is stupidly expensive. My bus pass saves me a £6.50 train fare and the whole journey is on the coast road. Lovely!
I also now get the bus home from the town centre (Worthing) as I live about a 25 minute walk away. One way is fine, but walking back as well with shopping bags was always a bit too much (and parking costs a sufficient deterrent to driving!).
I only use my car now for visiting my daughter & babies in Crawley - about 45 mins each way and not on a direct bus route, or for driving to Downland and woodland walks.

I'm a Londoner, and I have a Freedom Pass,
(don't have to pay on buses, the underground or the London overground).
It's wonderful.
I do think if any London Mayor (be it Boris, or a successor, Tory or Labour) tried to take the Freedom Pass away from London Seniors,
there would be riots in the streets. . .

BerylBee I chickened out of using the buses rather than the underground when I came up to London the other day. I've convinced I would get horribly lost as soon as Victoria Station had passed out of view!
It would be wonderful to be able to use any local authority bus pass on the underground . A bit of envy at your Freedom Pass!

In Scotland everyone receives their bus pass at 60 regardless of whether you get the State Pension or not. I got mine last year on my 60th birthday and use it a lot but I don't get my pension until January 2015.