General Discussion
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/09/scrapping-free-bus-travel-older-people-cost
and I wonder what the main political parties will have to say about this particular subject in their manifestos for next year's General Election.
It is commen sense free bus passes have a cost yes, but take them away and the buses will not be used as much. That will mean that bus companies will lay off staff, leading to increased unemployment cost and other benefits. Shops that at present gain customers, the wrinklies, will have a reduced number and will possible go bust leading to staff redundancies. This will all lead to a decrease in revenue to the exchequer from tax, business rates and corporation tax.
All of this will mean an increase in cost to the treasury not a saving as the politicians think, they after all have their chauffer driven cars to ride around in.
In addition there will be an increase in pollution due to the over 60's using cars more.
I wonder just for how long our local Dawlish Town 186 bus service would last if the pensioner bus pass was taken away?
It comes along my road and it so happens that I live opposite one of its unofficial stops. Most (although admittedly not all) of the people I see on it and getting off/on it appear to be old enough to be bus pass holders. If I had a bus pass now (and time was, and not so long ago, that being a woman of a certain age I would now have a bus pass) I would probably also start to use it. But I don't, 'cos I don't.
Just a personal observation/experience.
The short answer is that it will not, I recently travelled from Sainsbury's to the seafront in Dawlish and the cost was £2.20 how many times can you afford to pay those sorts of amounts out of a pension.
And let us not forget of course that if a UK Westminster government (of whatever political hue) should decide to restrict free bus passes to those of state pension age and then only to those in greatest need ( and how would that be determined? how much would that cost to adminster?) then this would not apply to the whole of the UK.
Remember those other countries presently (presently!) making up the UK have devolved powers enabling them to fund free bus passes for the 60+ from other funding streams if they so wish to do. And they do precisely that.
Then of course there is the case of London (free travel for the 60+ if you live in a London borough).
So.....only English pensioners would be affected but not even all English pensioners at that.
But I bet the idea turns up in the Lib Dems and Conservative party general election manifestos. (and I concentrate on them because, with a few exceptions like Exeter and Plymouth, the south west is Conservative and Lib Dem territory.)
Wonder what the UKIP line will be?
The true cost benefit is very simple - encourage retired people to get out and stay fit and healthy and you reap the rewards through lower NHS costs.
Well, it seems them wots at Westminster may be thinking otherwise (you can sort of understand the Scots saying that Westminster is totally out of touch, can;t you?). I wonder how many people who were, and who presently are, MPs and who are,age wise, eligible to do so actually use a bus pass? Maybe I should rephrase that to how many of them actually need to use a bus pass?
This talk of means testing pensioner benefits and stuff only going to those in greatest need and things...........why don't we all get a petition going asking for MPs salaries and expenses to be means tested. I mean, I am sure all those who are millionaire MPs can't possibly need to claim their MP salary and expenses from the tax payer.......... and it might give them a taste of what life is like for many others in this country.
Money where mouth is
Lead by example
What's good for the goose is good for the gander
etc
Just a little speculation - I would suggest that one thing possibly fuelling the issue is that something in the order of two thirds of seats are considered 'safe seats'.
Consequently the majority of the electorate has little realistic chance of making their local MP truely accountable over expenses etc.
I would be very interested to see a tabulated corrolation between worst excesses and 'safety of seat'.
Not that corrolation necessarily proves causation....but would be interesting to see....
p.s. One corrolation is that the peers are unelected and seem to dazzle with being the most out of touch! - QED?
Just got back from a week's holiday in the Peak District in Derbyshire. Thought I would bring this local day rover ticket scheme to your attention - The Derbyshire Wayfarer.
It is one ticket that enables a person to make many bus and train trips through Derbyshire on a single day. The ticket can also be used to make some trips to and from certain places outside the county as long as the journey starts or finishes in Derbyshire.
£6.00 per ticket for those aged 60+.
(and if anyone would like info about an absolutely superb holiday apartment in Matlock just let me know and I'll send you details.)
and just a bit further north and to the west a bit (Merseyside to be precise) it seems the 60+s who live there don't have to wait until they are of state pension age before they can get free travel on local buses, local trains and merseyside ferries.
http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/Tickets/concessions/Pages/60+.aspx
Decided to have a trip by bus yesterday to Sidmouth. Caught the bus from Dawlish just gone 9.30am. I sat upstairs at the front (I can still do that although I find getting off the bus from there is now a bit of a problem. However, I digress.........).
From my position it was very noticeable how many persons of free bus pass age got on that bus between Dawlish and Exeter. At Exeter I changed onto the Seaton bus. My gawd! I don't know where they came from but suddenly there they were like small flocks of starlings gathering together to make one larger one - lots and lots of free bus passers. I was surrounded by 'em! Couldn't help but overhear conversations on the bus about who had had this or who had had that operation, someone else was telling a tale about their new dentures. Someone else about their grandchild's first day at school.
I can't begin to tell you how young they made me feel (and look).
When I got off at Sidmouth they stayed on. Think they must have been travelling en masse to Seaton for some reason. A group walk perhaps?
But seriously - good on 'em for being able to get out and about. Being sociable, keeping mentally and physically fit (ill fitting dentures and operations allowing of course). Wonder how much money those bus passes cost to the taxpayer compared to the cost to social services and the NHS if they (the bus passes) didn't exist?
And I imagine Seaton's local economy got a boost yesterday as well.
Sadly the day of the universal state pension age bus pass may be numbered. And I wonder how much of a false economy that might turn out to be? Bet you the age related free bus pass won't exist by the time I reach state pension age (I am presently 60 years of age).
Couldn't agree more. None of us know how many years of being housebound are in store so make the most of it. On a more selfish note, having only just recovered from being driven to Shaldon and back by my mother in law, these bus passes have an indirect benefit to the health of other road users too.
Oh and there is something else.
As I was waiting for the bus to come back I fell into conversation with someone at the bus stop.
Turned out she only needed to go three stops but she no longer had the energy to walk those three stops worth as she had been out all morning doing voluntary work in the town and she felt tired. Fair enough.
She was a free bus pass holder. So I ask you this. If she needed to pay for those three stops there and three stops back again in order to do her voluntary work would she be able to afford to do so? And if not, would she then have to cease her voluntary work?
Multiply that scenario out across the country and not only would people like that lady not be able to do their voluntary work thereby losing out on a social life for themselves, but the organisations for whom and the people for whom they work voluntarily would also lose out.
And how much would that loss cost the economy, eh?
@Lynne. There is a downside to this. For example. Reading Buses say that it costs £70,000 a year and now they are having to put the cost of fares up by a big amount(probably done this by now). Lots of people are groaning and moaning about this big rise. I just hope Stagecoach dont get any ideas about this.
@Stephen Can you post some links please concerning what you state above. I have done a search on Reading Buses increase fares and have certainly found some links but nothing I have found so far mentions the £70,000 a year or the free bus pass scheme.
@Lynne. Sorry for delay in replying to your post. I saw a news article on local news programme where that figure was mentioned. There was a spokesman who said this. It was either cut services or increase fares, so they went for the latter. I not that computer savvy, and I dont know how to post links. Sorry.
Lynne, referring back to your post of 11:35 today, how did over-60s cope before the free bus passes were introduced just 6 years ago? And remember that those were also the days before the mass proliferation of the mobility scooters.
As far as I remember they had to pay half the full fare. But even that might have been too much for some to be able to afford.
And mobility scooters are not suitable for all people or all terrains.
And the free bus pass is not available for the over 60s now. It was originally as it is tied in with the state pension age of women. Which at that time was 60. As the state pension age for women increases so does the age at which both genders qualify for the bus pass. The state pension age for women is presently around about 62 and a bit but rising fast. I am 60. I will not qualify for my state pension until I am 65 years and 3 months old. That is when I will also be eligible to claim my bus pass - if it still exits then. Which I doubt.