Do not means test, bus passes petition

seven-day-weekend

I use my bus pass all the time. I can and do drive, but the bus is much easier for city centres. Greener too.

When we visit friends in Oxford, we go to Oxford in the car and then use our bus passes to get around.

Mine entitles me to free local bus travel anywhere in England, free trains within West Midlands County, and free Metro (tram) between Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

I have never claimed any State Benefits in my life, other than the universal Child Benefit for one child, so do not feel guilty about my bus pass.

I would not object to paying, say, £50 a year for my bus pass, if necessary.

seven-day-weekend

dzug1 wrote: »

Um yes - but if you live in Brum you can get free travel while on holiday in Cornwall, for example, even if you have to pay to get there. Some object to that.

Why?? .

PasturesNew

Some areas have good buses, some don't. Active/well off people are most likely to be using the free buses because they're out and about and doing activities/shopping for fun.

Bus companies in some areas are stopping services because they carry 99% bus pass holders, leaving the 1-2 paying customers without a service.

Maybe one way to stop the argument is to issue everybody eligible with a Pass, that enables them to pay a fixed rate £2/day fare and get an "All Day Ticket" each day they go out for just £2.... valid on all buses that day once bought.

PasturesNew

themull1 wrote: »

Rather than all the pensioners getting free bus travel, why can't the school kids get it free instead

I thought they did, unless you're less than 3 miles from the school, or if you choose to send your child to a different school further away than your allocated one.

themull1

meercatsunited wrote: »

to THEMULL1

Pensioners are not allowed to travel before 9am because thats when people who work travel and the majority of us have worked hard for a living and deserve that consideration when we have small pensions to live on

---

come to think of what are you doing on the bus after 9am, not working then?

I have worked since i was 16 for the last 28 years, and i was on a bus after 9am because it was the school holidays, and i was taking my kids to the town, obviously we all had to pay for a ticket, is that ok with you? I don't see why my kids have to pay for transport to go to school, and pensioners don't have to pay. They should pay a reduced rate, but should still pay.

lilac_lady

If the free bus passes for pensioners are withdrawn, a lot of bus services will be withdrwn too as the companies rely on the money provided for this.

alanq

meercatsunited wrote: »

to THEMULL1

Pensioners are not allowed to travel before 9am...

Although some councils extend the concession to 9am for their own residents the England Concessionary Bus Pass is only generally valid after 9.30 am.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/BusAndCoachTravel/DG_10036264

alanq

dzug1 wrote: »

Some object to that.

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Why?? .

If I understand correctly each council pays for journeys made in its area. Residents of areas popular with visitors would therefore be paying excessively for the journeys of non-residents. (Unless there is some form of subsidy that I am unaware of from central government to take account of this)

Errata

As alanq says, and the scheme costs Scarborough and Torquay councils a fortune.

meercatsunited

themull1 wrote: »

I have worked since i was 16 for the last 28 years, and i was on a bus after 9am because it was the school holidays, and i was taking my kids to the town, obviously we all had to pay for a ticket, is that ok with you? I don't see why my kids have to pay for transport to go to school, and pensioners don't have to pay. They should pay a reduced rate, but should still pay.

I always considered my child benefit to be used for trips out etc for my children.
I also made sure my children gave up their seat for an elderly person, disabled person or heavily pregnant woman and I personally will still do that if they need the seat more than me regardless of who has paid.
many of the older generation gave their lives for our freedom and we should always respect them for that.
and one thing is guaranteed you will be one of us one day.