OAP over 60 bus pass

seven-day-weekend

I wouldn't mind paying an annual contribution towards my bus pass. I pay £70 every three years for my Senior Railcard (£30 a year if you buy it annually). Maybe this sort of charge would be appropriate for those who want a bus pass? This way the bus companies would profit and most pensioners could afford it.

What I don't want is have to scrabble for fare every time I go on the bus, so an annual charge would be more suitable.

larlie1983

QuackQuackOops wrote: »

I think its about time the 'Free' bus pass was scrapped.

Instead, if someone over 60/65 wants to travel on the buses after peak periods, why not introduce a scheme of Pay x amount and travel anywhere then at least some contribution is made?

This is what used to happen before the national bus pass scheme was introduced. In my area there was a choice of 2 passes depending on how often they used the bus.

Option 1: Pay £15 yearly for the pass and then pay 40p for every journey made.

Option 2: A free pass but then pay half the regular adult fare on the bus.

Part of my job deals with issuing bus passes and most people that remember the old style passes still say that they wouldn't mind paying a nominal amount for the pass and also on the bus.

r2015

Here in Scotland you can travel at any time of the day or night and also pay by credit card in Aldi and Lidl :rotfl:

Bogof_Babe

Bettie wrote: »

I knew it was pension age but someone who is younger than me wouldn't get their pension before me so I guess the OP must live outside of England or be one of the people that get it for some types of disability

Some areas still use age 60 to qualify for their local scheme. Merseyside is one that I know of - you can apply for the pass at 60, and it allows free travel on both buses and Merseyrail trains. Excellent scheme and very popular. The 9.30 a.m. start time still applies though.

Perfect2

This should be means tested

ironpetal

Bettie you can apply for one at 60 for a regional one which is what I did. Soo-lin I have no idea why its 60 and not 59 so I can see your point. Pasturesnew the bus that takes us is a public/hospital bus. Fares where I live are rising all the time and the company I use to get to the hospital are like cattle wagons possibly the worst buses on the road by transport standards so where is the money going?

ironpetal

Soolin this is a regional pass not a national one. You get a form from your transport office.

Bettie

ironpetal wrote: »

Bettie you can apply for one at 60 for a regional one which is what I did. Soo-lin I have no idea why its 60 and not 59 so I can see your point. Pasturesnew the bus that takes us is a public/hospital bus. Fares where I live are rising all the time and the company I use to get to the hospital are like cattle wagons possibly the worst buses on the road by transport standards so where is the money going?

I can't find anything in my region ( Bristol) for over 60 so maybe they don't do one. I rarely catch a bus to work as I can walk in half an hour but to be honest tend to take the car as walking home after in the dark is not safe though I have no excuse now in summer. I am really looking forward to being able to travel 'free' and it will mean another car off the very busy roads here for a lot of the time.
I have had nightmare times trying to park at hospitals recently and if I had more time such as when I've retired I would have used the bus service though it would have been two or three changes but I would be happy to pay something as I was paying a fiver a day anyway for parking.

Bogof_Babe

If they do scrap or means test them, they'd have to review the fare system. Some operators have a flat fare these days, whether you're going one stop or the whole route. It can be around £2, so if your journey involves a change of buses you could end up paying £8 for a return trip of a couple of miles into town. For some elderly folk walking even that distance is not an option, let alone carrying their shopping home.

Many pensioners like to get out every day just for a change of scene, so £50 a week out of their pension/s would not be viable for some.

I'm always banging on about this, but do we really want elderly pensioners with failing eyesight and slowing reactions hanging on to their cars beyond the time they are safe to be on the road?

SailorSam

I've got one of those passes now, i think it's great. But they've just changed the timetable for our trains. The train into Liverpool use to be 9.33 which was perfect 'cos i could use the pass but now it comes at 9.29am
I've not used it yet but the question is, ...... should i ?