Overview
- London Councils has opened an evidence‑gathering review of the Freedom Pass to assess possible changes, with no policy decisions taken.
- The scheme is forecast to cost about £372 million in 2026–27, covering roughly 279 million journeys, including 221 million by bus and 44.7 million on the Tube.
- Options under consideration include restricting travel to buses, raising the eligibility age, introducing means‑testing, or excluding national rail within Greater London.
- Officials estimate limiting the pass to buses could cut annual costs to around £224 million and removing rail could save roughly £150 million, but any restriction on TfL modes would require Parliament to amend the GLA Act 1999.
- Rising costs reflect higher usage, revised Elizabeth Line calculations, fare increases and a new TfL charge for Oyster cards, with borough shares climbing—Richmond +16.2%, Kingston +14.9%, Bromley +15.2%, Brent up by more than £2m—and often funded from parking and motoring fines.