Published 2 October 2024 · Last updated 10 November 2026
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Last checked: 10 November 2026.
Quick answer: Often yes, if it is small enough. Outside London, most large bus companies follow one code: Class 2 scooters up to 600mm wide and 1,000mm long, with a permit issued before you travel. Trains generally take scooters up to 700mm wide and 1,200mm long, with a combined weight of 300kg including you, and several operators want a permit first. A scooter that folds can usually travel as luggage.
The limits in one table
| Transport | What is normally accepted | Permit needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Buses outside London (operators signed up to the CPT code) | Class 2 scooters, 3 or 4 wheels, no more than 600mm wide and 1,000mm long, turning radius no more than 1,200mm | Yes. Approval and a permit from the operator before your first trip |
| London buses | Class 2 scooters that fit TfL’s bus specification (TfL has confirmed 600mm by 1,000mm) | No, but TfL’s Mobility Aid Recognition card is worth having |
| Trains | Usually up to 700mm wide and 1,200mm long, 300kg including the rider. Some operators set tighter limits | Depends on the operator |
| Coaches with a wheelchair lift | Not carried in use | Not applicable |
| Folded scooters | Carried as luggage on most services | No |
Measure your scooter before you do anything else. The width that counts is the widest point, which is often the armrests or the rear wheels, not the seat.
Buses outside London: the CPT code
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the bus industry’s trade body, publishes a code for carrying mobility scooters on low-floor buses. Operators that sign up to it, including First Bus, Arriva and Nottingham City Transport, apply the same rules:
- Class 2 only. Class 2 scooters are the 4mph pavement type. Class 3 road scooters are too big and too heavy and are not carried.
- Size. No more than 600mm wide and 1,000mm long, with a turning radius of no more than 1,200mm.
- Weight. You and the scooter together must be within the safe working load of the bus ramp. Operators that state a figure commonly give 300kg.
- A permit first. You apply to the operator, who checks the scooter and gives you some training in getting on and off. The code says a permit issued by one signed-up operator should be accepted by the others.
- Low-floor buses only. If a step-entrance bus turns up, you cannot board with the scooter.
There is no legal duty on bus operators to carry a mobility scooter, which is why the permit matters: it settles the argument before you reach the bus stop. For operator-by-operator detail, see are mobility scooters allowed on buses?
Powered wheelchairs are treated differently. Buses built to carry a standard “reference” wheelchair must carry yours if it fits, and operators do not ask for a permit.
London buses
Transport for London runs its own arrangement, the Mobility Aid Recognition Scheme. You contact TfL’s travel mentoring team, they confirm whether your scooter meets the bus specification, and a travel mentor goes out with you on the network before the card is issued. Showing the card tells the driver the scooter has been checked.
TfL describes the scheme as voluntary: you do not need the card to travel, and drivers must lower the ramp on request if access is possible. The card saves a conversation at the door. TfL’s guidance to one manufacturer also says scooters capable of 8mph are not allowed on its vehicles, which rules out Class 3 models.
To join, email travelmentor@tfl.gov.uk or call 020 3054 4361.
Trains
Train companies start from the space built for a wheelchair: 700mm wide, 1,200mm long, 300kg including the passenger. A scooter that fits inside that can travel on many services. After that it depends on who runs the train.
| Operator | What its own page says (read 9 November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Northern | Scooters up to 700mm by 1,200mm and 300kg need a permit and sticker. A scooter you can fold to board needs no permit |
| East Midlands Railway | Permit required. No more than 1,200mm long and 700mm wide, 300kg including the passenger, sealed batteries. Folding scooters travel as luggage without a permit |
| Greater Anglia | Accepts only scooters within its wheelchair dimensions: 700mm wide, 1,200mm long, 300kg including the customer |
| Great Northern, Gatwick Express | 700mm wide, 1,200mm long including footplates, 300kg including your weight |
| Southern | Scooters up to 1,200mm long and 700mm wide. Its guide also gives a maximum turning radius |
Three things the dimensions do not tell you:
- The station matters as much as the train. A scooter that fits the carriage is no use at a station with no step-free route to the platform. Check both ends of the journey.
- Book assistance. Staff need to put a ramp down. Booking Passenger Assist ahead means someone is expecting you.
- Ask before you buy. If you are choosing a scooter with train travel in mind, phone the operator’s assisted travel team with the model name first. Some companies keep a list of scooters they have already approved.
Coaches, trams and the Underground
Government guidance for mobility vehicle users says scooters cannot be carried on coaches fitted with wheelchair lifts. A folded scooter in the hold is a matter for the coach company, so ask when you book.
Trams and metro systems set their own rules, network by network. Check the operator’s accessibility page for your city. In London, TfL’s travel mentors can advise on the Tube and Overground as well as buses.
If your scooter is too big
- A folding or take-apart scooter travels as luggage on most trains and coaches and avoids the permit question. See our ranking of folding mobility scooters, which lists folded sizes, and the car boot fit guide.
- A powered wheelchair has stronger rights on buses and trains than a scooter does. If public transport is how you get about, that is worth weighing before you buy. See our powerchair ranking
- Taxis. Designated wheelchair-accessible taxis and private hire vehicles have legal duties to wheelchair users. Read taxi rights for wheelchair users.
- Hire at the other end. Shopmobility and private hire firms lend scooters by the day. See mobility scooter hire.
Folding scooters that can travel as luggage:
Before you travel: a short checklist
- Measure the scooter at its widest and longest points, and find its turning radius and weight in the manual.
- Check whether it is Class 2 or Class 3. The mobility scooter rules page explains the difference.
- Apply for the bus permit or rail permit well before the day.
- Charge fully. See how to charge a mobility scooter.
- Carry the permit and a note of the scooter’s dimensions.
Going further? Mobility scooters on planes and ferries covers battery and notice rules for six airlines and four ferry lines. For where you can ride once you arrive, see mobility scooters in shops.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a mobility scooter on a bus? If it is a Class 2 scooter no more than 600mm wide and 1,000mm long, and the operator follows the CPT code, yes, once you have a permit. In London, TfL checks the scooter under its own scheme.
Can I take a Class 3 scooter on a bus? No. Operators that follow the CPT code carry Class 2 scooters only.
Can I take a mobility scooter on a train? Usually, if it is within 700mm by 1,200mm and you and the scooter together weigh no more than 300kg. Several operators ask for a permit, and a few set smaller limits, so check with the company running your train.
Do I need a permit? On buses outside London, yes. On trains it depends on the operator: Northern and East Midlands Railway both require one for scooters that do not fold.
Does a folding scooter need a permit? Generally not. Northern and East Midlands Railway both say a folded scooter travels as luggage without one.
Sources
- Confederation of Passenger Transport, Code for the use and acceptance of mobility scooters on low floor buses (leaflet hosted by Traveline Cymru): https://www.traveline.cymru/uploads/CPT%20Scooter%20Leaflet.pdf
- First Bus, Mobility Scooters Code: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/mobility-scooters-code
- Arriva, mobility scooter FAQ: https://help.arrivabus.co.uk/faqs/midlands/using_bus/scooter
- Nottingham City Transport, mobility scooters: https://www.nctx.co.uk/mobility-scooters
- Transport for London, travel mentoring and the Mobility Aid Recognition Scheme: https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/learn-to-use-public-transport
- Wheels for Wellbeing, reporting TfL’s confirmed bus dimensions (2023): https://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/tfl-silvertown-tunnel-cycle-bus-wfw-comments-on-access/
- Department for Transport, Mobility vehicle users: guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e959a82e90e071a1120c7d5/Mobility_Vehicle_Users_guidance-document.pdf
- Northern, mobility scooter leaflet (2025): https://northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/Mobility_Scooter_2025_web_v1.pdf
- East Midlands Railway scooter policy, as reported by Rail Forum (September 2024): https://www.railforum.uk/2024/09/emr-announces-updates-to-its-mobility-scooter-policy/
- Greater Anglia, train facilities: https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/accessibility/train-facilities
- Great Northern, wheelchairs and mobility scooters: https://www.greatnorthernrail.com/accessibility/mobility-scooters-and-wheelchairs
- Southern, wheelchair and scooter guide: https://www.southernrailway.com/-/media/goahead/gtr-all-shared-pdfs-and-documents/accessibility/wheelchair-and-scooter-guide.pdf
Published 2 October 2024 · Last updated 10 November 2026
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