Please Stop Using Bus Passes - Transport Secretary

chesky369

......I doubt if the 'better off' bus pass holders use their passes anyway - most will still be using their car, if they can afford to maintain and run it......

That's certainly not true in London. Most people I know have cars but they also use their bus passes a huge amount getting around town, as it's pretty useless to try and drive anywhere in Central London (congestion charge, absolutely no parking, and what there is costs an absolute fortune etc). Of course we can also use them for the tube but personally, I prefer seeing where I'm going and I'm no longer in the same hurried state I used to be when I commuted daily.

margaretclare

hethmar wrote: »

Yes, I heard her, it took my breath away. Basically she felt that the bus pass should be used for essential journeys only not for people to go on outings. But those people going on outings, even if just to meet friends and have tea and cakes are ploughing money into the economy and saving NI funds from having something to interest them and therefore not developing depressive illnesses!

Who was it who said that? I've never heard anything of the sort expressed. At the time these were introduced it was mentioned that it would help to 'avoid social isolation'.

Tea and cakes? Would you mind if I have tea without the cakes? The people I know of who eat cakes would - errr, be better if they didn't. Especially as they do all pay lip-service to the idea of 'should really do something about my weight, but it's my age, you see'.

ceridwen

I heard that and thought "I doubt many better-off pensioners travel by bus anyway".

However - many many people - ie the vast majority of people who are entitled to claim various benefits for having children do so:mad:

Much more to the point would be to ask people who claim those various benefits for having children to "Please stop taking THAT money" and hope one could successfully appeal to their better nature.

One can't help getting old - it comes to all of us if we live long enough. One can help having children though - so why should people expect to be paid for having them?

hethmar

margaretclare wrote: »

Who was it who said that? I've never heard anything of the sort expressed. At the time these were introduced it was mentioned that it would help to 'avoid social isolation'.

.

I dont know who it was - I heard the radio as I went into my kitchen, it was on the Jeremy Vine show. I dont think she was any one of any consequence, just some old misery who said she saw pensioners queueing for the bus "just to go on jaunts to the seaside". I couldnt believe she was saying it. I almost rang up to have a go, but I was just on my way out of the house.

You should be able to hear it on the BBC site shouldnt you?

hethmar

Ah, Ive found it on the bbc site. If you go to the link and then push the play button along to 1.45.10 you can hear the discussion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/jeremy-vine/

Marcusp

A friend of mine who has just turned 60 but is being forced to keep working until he is 65 now saves £20 a week on bus fares and he says there are lots of people on his bus over 60 who are still working who no longer pay.

Everyone I know who is over 60 now use a bus pass in preference to buying petrol and paying for parking.

I slaved for nearly 50 years paying tax to keep all these politicians in luxury and there is no way I am paying for my bus travel if I get it free.

Marcus

hethmar

I shall get villified - but, for gawds sake, if we can afford to take in all these immigrants AND pay for their families, including child allowance when the kids arent even here, then those who worked hard to make it possible for us to do that, must have some small benefits.

kathleenryd

Who gets the money when oap's pay bus fare - isn't it the bus company?

*Chattie*

margaretclare wrote: »

I doubt if the 'better off' bus pass holders use their passes anyway - most will still be using their car, if they can afford to maintain and run it.

I don't know why I got mine - I've never used it. DH has only used his once in recent times and that was when he took the car in for service and came back on the bus.

so why did you go to the bother of getthing the passes?

i would say i'm what you call a "better off" bus pass holder living in a city with no parking for my car so i'll use my pass for city trips thank you very much.

Indie_Kid

hethmar wrote: »

Yes, I heard her, it took my breath away. Basically she felt that the bus pass should be used for essential journeys only not for people to go on outings.

But what is an "essential journey"? For someone who lives alone, seeing a friend could well be (in some peoples opinions) essential.