50Travel concessions on journeys in and around Greater London
(1)Subject to subsection (4) below, any local authority, or any two or more local authorities acting jointly, may enter into arrangements with London Regional Transport under which—
(a)London Regional Transport grant, or arrange with some other person for that other person to grant, such travel concessions as may be provided for by the arrangements to any persons eligible to receive them in accordance with subsection (7) below ; and
(b)that local authority (or, as the case may be, those local authorities in such proportions respectively as they may agree among themselves) reimburse the cost incurred in granting those concessions.
(2)Any London authority may contribute to any cost incurred by a local authority within the meaning of the [1955 c. 26.] Public Service Vehicles (Travel Concessions) Act 1955 in granting travel concessions under that Act.
(3)Subject to subsection (4) below, any London authority, or any two or more London authorities acting jointly, may make, with any independent transport service operator or with the Railways Board, arrangements under which—
(a)that operator or (as the case may be) the Board grant such travel concessions as may be provided for by the arrangements to any persons eligible to receive them in accordance with subsection (7) below; and
(b)that authority (or, as the case may be, those authorities in such proportions respectively as they may agree among themselves) reimburse the cost incurred in granting those concessions.
(4)The concessions that may be provided for by any arrangements under subsection (1) or (3) above are concessions on journeys—
(a)between places in Greater London ;
(b)between such places and places outside but in the vicinity of Greater London ; or
(c)between places outside but in the vicinity of Greater London.
(5)Any arrangements entered into by a local authority under subsection (1) or (3) above may include provision for the performance of functions in connection with the travel concessions in question by the local authority or local authorities concerned.
(6)Any London authority making contributions under subsection (2) above may enter into arrangements with the authority to whom those contributions are paid for the performance by that London authority of functions in connection with the travel concessions in respect of which the contributions are paid.
(7)The persons eligible to receive travel concessions under arrangements made under subsection (1) or (3) above are persons mentioned in any of the following paragraphs, or any description of such persons, that is to say—
(a)men over the age of sixty-five years and women over the age of sixty years ;
(b)blind persons, that is to say, persons so blind as to be unable to perform any work for which sight is essential;
(c)persons suffering from any disability or injury which, in the opinion of the local authority or any of the local authorities by whom the cost incurred in granting the concessions falls to be reimbursed, seriously impairs their ability to walk.
(8)In this section—
(a)" independent transport service operator" means any person operating a public service vehicle undertaking or a tramcar or railway undertaking other than—
(i)a local authority within the meaning of the Act of 1955 mentioned above ;
(ii)London Regional Transport, the Railways Board or any subsidiary of either of those authorities ; or
(iii)any person providing public passenger transport services in pursuance of an agreement entered into by London Regional Transport by virtue of section 3(2) of this Act;
and any person whose use of a motor vehicle (within the meaning of the [1981 c. 14.] Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981) is covered by an authorisation under section 48 of that Act (use of passenger vehicles in experimental areas);
(b)" local authority " means the council of a county or district and any London authority ;
(c)" London authority " means the Greater London Council, the council of any London borough and the Common Council; and
(d)" tramcar " has the same meaning as in the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981.
(9)In this section and sections 51 to 53 of this Act " travel concession " means the reduction or waiver of a fare or charge either absolutely or subject to terms, limitations or conditions.