Tim Prater

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS – also known as the older persons bus pass) is a statutory national scheme providing free bus travel for individuals of a pensionable age or some pass holders who qualify on the basis of disability. There are approximately 290,000 pass holders across the County.

The scheme is managed by Kent County Council through our Contact Centre and Libraries who complete much of the day to day customer service and administration.

KCC inherited responsibility for the scheme from the District Councils in 2008. Passes are issued with a 5 year expiry and as a consequence, every 5 years the Council experiences a significant peak in renewals which needs to be managed. In March 2018, 195,000 passes currently in circulation expire.

Approach to renewals:

To manage this process efficiently with the minimum disruption on pass holders, it has been agreed that the Council will adopt an approach of ‘intelligent auto-renewals’ whereby the majority of existing pass holders, if using their pass recently, will automatically be sent a new pass in advance of their current one expiring i.e. the pass holder does not need to reapply. However, it has been identified that a significant proportion of passes have not been used in the last year and so these will not be automatically renewed. It should be clearly understood that this is in no way the removal of a right to hold a pass but we will be seeking confirmation from the pass holder that they still wish to be issued with one. Instead therefore, these pass holders will be written to and advised of their continued right to hold a pass together with instructions as to how to renew.

What happens next?

We are already promoting our approach and advising pass holders and bus passengers through various means including notices on buses which will start to appear throughout December.

We will then be cleaning the data by checking it with Royal Mail and National Mortar records to try to ensure that all of the detai that we hold is up to date and accurate.

Letters will be sent out throughout January, February and the first week of March and all automatically renewed or renewals applied for on time will be sent to pass holders before the expiry of current passes on 31st March.

A summary of the key events is shown below.

• Week Commencing Activity
• W/C 4th December 2017 Notices on buses and media campaign
• W/C 1st January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : A – B
• W/C 8th January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : C – F
• W/C 15th January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : G – K
• W/C 22nd January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : L – O
• W/C 29th January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : P – S
• W/C 5th February 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : T – Z
• W/C 12th February 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Ashford, Canterbury & Dartford Districts
• W/C 19th February 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Dover, Gravesham & Maidstone Districts
• W/C 26th February 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Sevenoaks, Shepway & Swanley Districts
• W/C 5th March 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Thanet, T&Malling & T/Wells Districts
• 31st MARCH 2018 CURRENT PASSES EXPIRE

Further information is available at www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/bus-travel/bus-passes or contact us at buspass@kent.gov.uk

A television company called Shiver Productions are developing a new television programme for a major broadcaster. They are looking for vibrant, fun and outgoing grandparents who want to spend more time with their adult grandchildren (who must be 18 plus).

With a lot of grandparents reportedly only seeing their grandchildren on average twice a year, it’s not surprising the two generations often know little about each other’s lives. In the programme, grandparents will spend one-on-one time with their multiple grandchildren in an attempt to get to know them better and see if they can offer any help.

Along the way they will learn about the pressures their grandchildren face, the lifestyle choices they make, their hopes for the future and what, if anything, is standing in their way of achieving them.

The programme will allow grandparents to share their knowledge, advice and practical help while learning more about the lives, hopes and aspirations of their grandchildren.

Local councils in Kent have been asked to see if there might be any grandparents (or grandchildren) who would like to get in touch with us.