General Chat

OH has a bus pass - I don't. We live in a semi-rural area where buses connecting the large populated areas with the nearest town run every 90 mins.

As our car was out of action for a week recently, we (or rather OH) had to use the bus to get about. The vast majority of fellow passengers where of pensionable age. If the bus service had become uneconomical to run, he would have found it almost impossible to get about.

Means testing would probably cost more than it would save. Other suggestions have been to pay a flat annual fee, or a minimal amount per journey backed up by the bus pass. The last time I used the bus about 5 years ago, the return fare to the town was over £5. It's probably gone up now!

Do you know that a English bus pass is not valid in Wales and vice versa

:-S

If you are a pensioner, how important is your Bus Pass, in Greater London your Freedom Pass, to you and should eligibly for a Bus Pass/Freedom Pass be means tested, if so what should the income threshold be?

I ask this because it is being reported today that elderly and disabled passengers could lose vital bus services because of cuts in government funding, councils in England warn.

The Local Government Association (LGA) says support for the concessionary fares scheme has been reduced by over a third since 2010.

Under the scheme, councils have to provide free off-peak travel for those aged over 62 or disabled.

The government says it provides funding to meet subsidised travel costs.

Local authorities say the funding from central government for concessionary fares has been cut by £261m since the coalition came to power.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26385176