DISABLED people in England will be able to use their bus passes for free at any time of day from April 1, the government has announced.
Currently, disabled bus passes can be used between 09:30 and 23:00 on weekdays, while there are no time restrictions at weekends and on bank holidays. The change is expected to benefit about one million people.
The disability charity Scope said the move would "remove barriers to everyday life". Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was "simply not right that many disabled people cannot travel using their pass during certain times of the day".
Burnham said he had removed similar restrictions earlier this year in Greater Manchester, allowing disabled pass holders to use buses on the Bee Network at any time.
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"I'm proud to do it now for the whole country," he added.
Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, called the move a "huge win for the disabled community" and a "culmination of two years of campaigning".
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James Barber of Transport for All called it a "real win for disabled people" and "very welcome news". Kurtis Crossthorn, who is registered blind and lives in Sheffield, said the change would be "very welcome" and make many disabled people feel "relieved" and "heard".
The £60m scheme will be funded from Department for Transport and Department for Work and Pensions budgets.
Work and Pensions minister Lilian Greenwood said it was an "indefinite commitment".
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A Conservative Party spokesman asked the prime minister to "come clean" on how he would fund "this growing list of policies".
"This is simply the shuffling around of existing departmental budgets," they added.
