Free bus pass under threat?

delain

krisskross wrote: »

Would bus passes not work out cheaper? Or perhaps a closer school?

Whatever money you use for driving lessons has no bearing on the matter as I assume your driving instructor does not take the children to school so you still have bus fares as wll as driving lessons to pay for.

Jolly decent of you to say you don't dislike all of us who use bus passes. I don't dislike all young mums and their children who use buses either.

That was the price with bus passes :eek: The daily ticket price was £3.70 per person per day.

[Deleted User]

We have hardly used our bus passes but beieve that their use is abused by some people. Bus passes should stay and they will be staying in wales but their use should be limited to a couple of journeys a week

When we have used them the buses have been half full at most. Pensioners talking about their days at work ie starting work at 15 and working for 50 years or obvious benefit holders who have not contributed a penny to the pot. I know which category has earned the bus pass

Be_Happy

Perhaps we should consider the obvious point that without the large numbers of Pensioners using the buses with the Government/Local Councils paying for their fares, the bus companies would cut down their services as they are not going to run unprofitable buses.

Errata

Unfortunately it costs some councils over a million pounds a year. Which means that council tax will have to increase or social services support of older people and others will have to be cut.

pollypenny

Dh and I use our bus passes to go into Chester. It's a way to ease traffic congestion, as well as saving money for us.

For many older people in the South Wales Valleys and in rural areas, the bus is essential to take them to centres where facilities such as banks and even the post office are available. When I was a kid, my village had every sort of small shop, an ironmongers, wool and basic clothes, as well as the usual grocers, greengrocers and butchers. More shops delivered, too.

Many villages now have nothing or perhaps one, expensive, shop.

EdInvestor

Errata wrote: »

Unfortunately it costs some councils over a million pounds a year. Which means that council tax will have to increase or social services support of older people and others will have to be cut.

Why cut social services support?I can think of plenty of other things that could be cut instead, particularly in relation to refuse and recycling, unnecessary minor roadworks, grants to dubious quangos,etc etc...If cuts are indeed necessary.

The problem seems to be one which central Government can resolve by boosting its contribution to overburdened councils.

Doc_N

The pensioners travelling on their bus passes round here are probably keeping most of the local services going. Good luck to them.

Farway

I agree with Doc N, Around here without pensioners on the buses they would be nearly empty except at begin & end of school day

I use mine occasionally, am doing so later today in fact for hospital appointment.

Other times I have gone into Portsmouth or Chichester, I never have bothered in the car and before bus pass era, when I am there I usually have lunch and couple of pints maybe, so for bus pass the local economy makes around £15 from me when it never would without my free bus pass

scotsbob

Got quite a fright when I saw the thread heading, then I realised it's only the English passes that are "under threat"

Gave me quite a start I can tell you.

.

Biggles

scotsbob wrote: »

Got quite a fright when I saw the thread heading, then I realised it's only the English passes that are "under threat".

I doubt it. The first I heard on the recent news was when the Welsh said that bus passes must go, the news about English passes cropped up a few days later, so I would think they are all in some doubt.