Freedom of movement for the disabled should not have a curfew

There is something deeply frustrating about discovering that a freedom you thought you had comes with a time limit.

Scotland’s National Entitlement Card has transformed the lives of many disabled people, giving people the freedom to travel by bus without worrying about the cost. It supports independence and helps people access work, healthcare, friends, family and their communities. But for some disabled people, that freedom stops when the sun goes down.

Premium-fare night buses are currently excluded from the national concessionary travel scheme. In Edinburgh, that can mean someone with a disabled NEC who needs to get home late at night must pay for a journey that would otherwise be free.

My colleague Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill has been making this case for some time. She has spoken about her own experience of needing to travel to hospital late at night, saying: “the only way that I can get around the city at that time is the buses.”

That should make us stop and think.

There is an assumption that disabled people simply do not go out after dark. Of course they do. They work late, visit friends, attend events, go to hospital appointments and want the same freedom to live their lives as everyone else.

For many disabled people, the bus is not simply the cheapest option. It may be the safest and most accessible option available.

As Kayleigh has pointed out, “We’re not asking for new infrastructure or new buses. It’s literally just about accepting something after hours that we already have.”

This should be a straightforward change. If Scotland says disabled people are entitled to free bus travel, that promise should not quietly disappear after a certain hour.

The Scottish Government should amend the legislation and extend the disabled NEC concession to premium-fare night buses.

A national concession should be national, clear and consistent. Freedom of movement should not have a curfew.