Buses
Information about bus services operating in Brighton & Hove.
Get a bus pass
Older person's bus pass
Check if you're the right age for an older person's bus pass and make your application.
Apply for an older person's bus pass
Disabled person's bus pass
Apply for or renew a disabled person's bus pass.
Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass
Concessionary travel options
Brighton & Hove City Council is dedicated to ensuring residents have access to affordable bus travel. In addition to our standard travel information, the following concession schemes are available for eligible residents.
Carers’ Card
Eligible unpaid carers can receive discounted bus fares when using Brighton & Hove Buses by applying for a Brighton & Hove Carers' Card.
If you're an unpaid carer, apply for the Carers’ Card to access these discounts. You may require a specific photo card from bus operators to prevent any risk of fraud.
For complete details and to apply, visit our Apply for a Carers' Card page.
Compass Card
Compass Card supports eligible 0 to 25-year-olds with special educational needs or disabilities by offering fare concessions on buses operated by Brighton & Hove Buses.
Disabled Pass with Companion
Disabled Pass with Companion (ENCTS Scheme) allows a disabled cardholder to travel with a companion.
Please note that Brighton & Hove City Council does not issue separate companion passes, and companion passes issued by other authorities are not valid for travel within Brighton & Hove. In these cases, the disabled cardholder receives the discount and companions may be required to pay for journeys that begin within the council’s boundaries.
For more information, visit our Disabled person's bus pass page.
Bus times, schemes and travel fares
- Bus service and timetables on the Brighton & Hove Buses website Get bus times and service information
- Keycards and mobile tickets Used on Brighton & Hove Buses, Compass Buses and Big Lemon
- Bus services paid for by the council Council-funded bus routes, including Big Lemon, Compass and Brighton & Hove Buses
- ​Breeze up to the Downs Network of three bus services linking the city with Devil's Dyke, Stanmer Park and Ditchling Beacon
Accessibility for passengers with a disability
- EasyLink Door-to-door transport service for people who find it difficult to get on and off buses, or to get to the bus stop
- Helping Hand scheme A card passengers that need extra assistance or require the driver to be made aware of something discreetly
- Talking bus stops Providing real-time bus information to visually impaired people
Bus companies operating in and around the city
- Brighton & Hove Buses
- Stagecoach South
- Metrobus
- The Big Lemon Company
- Compass Travel
- Sussex Coaches
- National Express
Get involved
Working towards zero emissions buses
The council is not responsible for purchasing new buses but in the longer term would like to see all buses in the city to be zero emissions. Operators have invested in cleaner buses in recent years with the standard of vehicle allowed to operate through the city centre Ultra Low Emission Zone increasing over a number of years.
The Bus Service Improvement Plan and the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) 2025 Refresh will include a target for all buses to be zero emissions by 2030. Services part funded by the council will be expected to use zero emissions vehicles sooner. Zero emissions buses however cost significantly more than diesel equivalents and rollout will be subject to funding.
In 2021 we submitted a joint bid with East Sussex County Council to the Department for Transport’s Zero Emissions Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Fund. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful.
Read the ZEBRA bid we submitted.
In December 2023 Brighton & Hove City Council, working in partnership with Brighton & Hove Buses, submitted a bid for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) 2 scheme.
Find out more about our ZEBRA 2 bid.
Contact us
Contact the Public Transport team at transport.projects@brighton-hove.gov.uk