Lib Dems Celebrate Victory for Pensioners as HEYCA Approves All-Day Bus Passes for East Riding from April 2027

​A long-standing campaign by the Liberal Democrats has achieved a major breakthrough after the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) formally approved proposals from Mayor Luke Campbell to end peak-time travel restrictions.
​Under the approved plans, pensioners will be able to travel anywhere in East Yorkshire, at any time, using their free bus passes. The decision ends a long-standing "postcode lottery" between Hull, where all-day free travel was already permitted and the East Riding. All-day access across both council areas will be standardised from 1st April 2027.

​The breakthrough builds on a national victory secured by Liberal Democrat campaigners, who successfully pressured central government to scrap morning restrictions for disabled pass holders across England. While that national change did not automatically cover age-based passes, local Lib Dems continued fighting to ensure older residents were not left behind.

​The East Riding Liberal Democrats had campaigned on the issue for years, having previously raised the matter at East Riding of Yorkshire Council that was rejected on cost grounds. More recently, local Labour MP, Emma Hardy, had also recently joined calls to end local transport inequalities by aligning East Riding’s bus pass rules with Hull

​Welcoming HEYCA’s decision, Cllr Denis Healy, Leader of the ERYC Liberal Democrat Group, said:
​"Having two sets of rules under one Combined Authority made no practical sense. Older residents will no longer face the anxiety of rescheduling early morning GP appointments or hospital visits just to avoid pre-9:30 am peak bus fares."

​"I wholeheartedly welcome the approval of this measure and Mayor Campbell’s support. This is a fix the Liberal Democrats have actively campaigned for over many years, and I am glad the Mayor is listening to the local community and their representatives. Seeing this approved is finally a tangible outcomes from the Mayor’s time in office and delivers real fairness for every pensioner in the East Riding."

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