Freedom Pass is a concessionary travel scheme, which began in 1973, to provide free travel to residents of Greater London, England who are aged 60 and over (eligibility age increasing by phases to 65 by 2020) or who have a disability. The scheme is funded by local authorities and coordinated by London Councils. Originally the pass was a paper ticket, but since 2004 it has been encoded onto a contactless smartcard compatible with Oyster card readers.
The scheme was created in 1973 by the Greater London Council, although there had been concessionary bus fare schemes in London before that. When the council was abolished in 1986, responsibility for the scheme passed to the London borough councils. The cost of providing the travel concession is negotiated between London Councils and the local transport operator Transport for London. It is funded through a mixture of national grant and council tax. In 2007 there was a dispute between the Mayor of London and London Councils on the negotiation process, in particular the ability for the Greater London Authority to impose a charge should no agreement be reached.[dead link][dead link]