The disabled persons’ Freedom Pass gives residents of Hounslow with permanent disabilities affecting their mobility free travel within the Greater London area on the following services:
London Transport buses, including low floor mobility buses and Stationlink
London Underground
Docklands Light Rail
TfL River services
National Railways
The pass is paid for by your council to help people with disabilities get around.
How do I use my new smartcard freedom pass?
What if the pass is stolen, lost or faulty?
Who is eligible?
You must be over five years of age and have a permanent address in the London Borough of Hounslow (proof of both age and address required). Applicants over the age of 60 years of age qualify automatically for an Older Person's Freedom Pass, although travel is restricted by time, therefore if you are eligible for a disabled persons’ freedom pass this will give you greater flexibility.
You may qualify automatically if you receive:
Disability Living Allowance Higher Rate Mobility Component;
War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement; or
You are registered blind or partially sighted.
You may also qualify automatically if you have:
A Hounslow Taxicard
A Blue Badge
Hounslow can issue freedom passes to disabled applicants who meet one of the 7 categories in the Transport Act 2000. You qualify under these categories if you:
1. Are blind or partially sighted
2. Are profoundly or severely deaf
3. Are without speech
4. Have a disability, or suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk
5. Do not have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms
6. Have a learning disability, that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning
7. Would, if you applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have your application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
How do I apply?
Download an application from from this page. Once you have completed and returned the application form (including proof of address) and we have received the medical report form from your GP, we will contact you by post. At this point you may come into the Civic Centre and the pass will be issued. In special cases you may need to be assessed by an occupational therapist. All applications must include:
One item of proof of your name and address. This includes: a current state retirement pension book; a current council tax bill/letter/payment book; a current benefits book; a current council/housing association rent book or TV licence; OR any of the following items, if dated in the last 3 months: a residential utility bill; a residential bank/building society statement; an Inland Revenue letter; a Benefits Agency letter; a letter of pension entitlement; occupational pension letter; or residential credit card statement, and,
Two passport style photos of yourself, and
Either proof of automatic qualification, this includes: a photocopy of your entitlement letter; the first three pages of your benefits book showing that you receive either the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance; or the war pensioners’ mobility supplement;
Or a photocopy of your BD8 form that confirms your visual impairment; or confirmation that you are known to Hounslow’s sensory needs team.
How much does it cost?
The Freedom Pass is free but you must provide two passport size photos with your application. If you use the pass on national railways to travel outside the Greater London area, the extra cost of the travel must be paid before boarding the train.
When is the pass valid?
Holders of Disabled Person's Freedom Passes can use them to travel ANY TIME on London buses, London Underground and tram services in London. Time restrictions still apply on National Rail services.
The pass is valid on National Rail after 9.30am on all weekdays and all day weekends and public holidays.
The pass is valid anytime on TfL river services, fares are half price with freedom pass.
What if the pass is stolen, lost or faulty?
If the pass is lost or stolen you must report it to the police and get a crime reference number from them. You must also fill out a loss/theft report form, available to download on this page.
If the pass is faulty it can be replaced at the Civic Centre. No further proof of identity is required other than your existing pass with photocard.
How do I use my new smartcard freedom pass’
Simply place your Freedom Pass wallet containing your pass and photocard flat onto the yellow card reader pads located by the driver on the buses and on top of the automatic ticket gates at the train and tube stations. You don't need to take the pass out if its wallet as you don't need to insert it into any of the station gates.
On buses, you only need to touch your freedom pass flat on the yellow card reader when boarding the bus. On the train and tube, you just touch your freedom pass flat on the yellow card reader on the automatic ticket gates as you enter and exit the station. You do not even have to open your pass wallet for your pass to be read on the reader pads, you can place it on the reader pad closed.
Contact details
Tel: 020 8583 3073
E-mail: bluebadge@hounslow.gov.uk