During his March '06 Budget speech, Gordon Brown announced there would be free off peak national bus travel for pensioners in every part of the country from 2008.  The relevant section from his speech is as follows:

From April 1st there will be free local bus travel for every pensioner and for disabled people.

But I believe that there should also be free national bus travel.

So the Transport Secretary is announcing today that from April 2008 at a cost of £250 million for every pensioner and for disabled people free off peak national bus travel in every area of the country.

I was very pleased with this announcement, as I have long been raising this issue, for example, On 29 January 2002 I tabled the following Early Day Motion calling for free bus travel for all pensioners:

"That this House welcomes the introduction of the minimum half-price concessionary fare scheme for bus travel in 2001 but recognises the anomalies that a district by district scheme creates; acknowledges that by the end of 2002 Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will all have free bus travel for older people; expresses concern at the potential for a postcode lottery in bus travel if England does not introduce similar measures; and supports the National Pensioners' Convention in their call for the Government to introduce a free nationwide bus travel scheme this year for all pensioners as one of the best ways to ensure independence and mobility in later life."