Liberal Democrats in Exeter celebrate scrapping of disabled bus pass restrictions

Liberal Democrats in Exeter have welcomed the Government’s decision to scrap time restrictions on disabled people’s bus passes, following an almost two-year campaign led by Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon.

Disabled pass holders in Exeter currently cannot travel free before  9.30am on weekdays — a rule that has made it harder to get to work, to college, to hospital appointments and to drop children at school. Under the change, passes will be valid at any time of day.

The campaign was led by Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, who was weeks away from forcing MPs to vote on the issue for a second time when the Government adopted the policy. In September 2025, Labour MPs — including Heidi Alexander, now Secretary of State for Transport — voted down his amendment to the Bus Services Bill that would have made the same change.

Steve Race the Labour MP for Exeter, voted against scrapping these restrictions in September 2025. He now supports the change in policy.

The announcement drew cross-party recognition. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who adopted the policy in Greater Manchester after attending a parliamentary reception hosted by Mr Gordon, posted: "It has been good to work with you on this, Tom." David Skaith, the Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: "Credit where it’s due to Tom Gordon MP who has been calling for this for some time now."

Micheal Mitchell, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Council group in Exeter said:

“Disabilities don’t start at 9:30, and now neither do disabled bus passes. This is a huge win for disabled people in Exeter and across the country.

“Liberal Democrats have pushed for this for almost two years, in Parliament and here in Exeter and I’m delighted it has finally been won. It should not have taken this long, but what matters now is that disabled people can get on the bus whenever they need to.”

Tom Gordon MP, who led the national campaign, said:

“This is the culmination of two years of campaigning, and it belongs to the disabled people who told me what these restrictions were costing them, financially and physically.

“A bus pass you can’t use at peak time isn’t much use if your shift, your appointment or your lecture starts at nine.

“Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners in every part of the country kept this going. This win is theirs too.”