Mohammad Asghar, Shadow Minister for Equality & Sport, continues to lobby the Welsh Government to extend the Companion Bus Pass for severely disabled passengers.
Current regulations stipulate that a severely disabled person may request one Companion Bus Pass, but additional carers are required to pay for travel.
The South Wales East AM feels that bus travellers who require help from more than one companion should be able to apply for additional passes.
Following plenary questions and letters from Mr Asghar, the First Minister has confirmed that he has asked officials to “work with local authorities and others to look at the case for allowing more than one companion to travel with a concessionary bus pass holder when they are needed to make the journey”.
Mr Asghar said: “I will continue to lobby the Welsh Government on this issue and I welcome the First Minister’s agreement to look at this inequitable flaw.
“I have spoken to constituents who suffer from serious disabilities and desperately need more than one companion when making bus journeys.
“I hope the Welsh Government will closely scrutinise the details of the scheme, by which local authorities issue concessionary and companion bus passes”.
