Archive for April 2009

Free travel for pensioners

27/04/2009 by admin.

I have long admired Lindsay Hoyle, the Chorley MP.

But then, last week we had this from him in a debate at Westminster Hall:

“I shall start by talking about free bus travel for pensioners, which started with local authority free travel, and has been extended to a nationwide local bus scheme. That important scheme has been a huge success, and has transformed pensioners’ lives. It allows them to get out and visit, to have healthier lifestyles and to spend the money that it saves them. It is good for the economy, and it is good for us. It has also been good for a local bus manufacturer, Optare, which is reaping the benefits of providing new buses because of the new way in which people are travelling. Public transport is being reinvigorated as people are getting back on to it. We ought to congratulate the Government on that, and I do. I also remind them that when I started the campaign, back in 1997, with a petition in Chorley saying, “We want free local bus travel,” the Government listened. It took them a long time, but they listened and delivered.

Following the success of the free bus travel scheme, I ask the Government to extend it to regional train travel, so that pensioners can also enjoy that. The village where I live, Adlington, has a railway station and trains that connect straight to Preston, Blackpool and Manchester, and people could benefit from free regional train travel.”

Oh dear.

I have nothing against pensioners - or even free bus travel for pensioners if they can’t afford to pay. I will be one myself before too many years. If, when that happens, I am required to take a means test, I will not object at all.

In fact, it is only the fact that I seem to be funding so many of society’s passengers - and I use the word advisedly - that I will even consider taking up my own free travel option.

But for God’s sake, our railways are groaning under a demand which we can’t meet. Please don’t overburden it further!!!!

Posted in Transport | Print | No Comments »

East v West

22/04/2009 by admin.

Living where I do, I have a choice of Virgin Trains or Nationa Express East Coast to get to London. I went on Virgin (£35 first class advance single) on Tuesday and came back National Express (£37 first class single).

The big news is that Virgin has finally fitted wi fi on its trains. Now you can work properly while being served with a rather fine sandwich, loads of tea or coffee, and a couple of alcoholic drinks - if you want.

The fly in the ointment was that the train was an hour late!

Coming back, the train was older but probably roomier and more comfortable, the tea and coffee was free but everything else was chargeable. The wi fi was horribly slow.

But the train was on time!

Posted in Transport | Print | No Comments »

Clement Freud

16/04/2009 by admin.

My sympathies to the family of Clement Freud.

I met him once when Virgin hired him to devise a new on-board menu for their West Coast trains.

I took Mrs S on what I told her would be a luxury trip to London, rubbing shoulders with VIPs. We went down on a morning train, enjoying what still is the great British breakfast. We met in the First Class lounge at Euston at about 11.30am…and then were taken straight to a Manchester train where we were immediately served lunch, arriving back in Manchester before 3pm.

The food was good, despite its proximity to breakfast and I wish I could say Sir Clement belied his image and was charming company. He didn’t - and he wasn’t.

Posted in Transport | Print | 1 Comment »

TransportMatters magazine

14/04/2009 by admin.

The April edition of TransportMatters magazine is now published and can be viewed at www.transportmatters.co.uk .

Having sent out the email alerts today, it is amazing how many out-of-office replies I have got, leading me to believe that few of us are actually working this week.

But then again, it also amazes me how many people are as sad as I am and on their computers at 10.45pm BST!

Posted in Transport | Print | No Comments »

02/04/2009 by admin.

This early day motion strikes a chord…

1271 RAILWAY SERVICES AND JOBS 1:4:09
John McDonnell
* 1
   That this House notes rail transport can provide a lower carbon emission alternative to the car and lorry; believes the railways during the recession can be a powerhouse for promoting green jobs, a green stimulus to the economy and managed in a way which alleviates the effects of the economic downturn; is therefore dismayed that despite being heavily reliant on billions of pounds of Government subsidy, thousands of passenger services, infrastructure and freight jobs are being threatened or have been lost on the railways and London Underground with the Government in effect subsidising redundancy; is appalled that these cuts will also affect the level and quality of service and are taking place despite private railway companies continuing to pay a dividend to shareholders and presiding over the most expensive fares in Europe; supports the call of the rail unions for an immediate industry-wide moratorium on cuts in jobs and services on the railways and London Underground and a freeze in dividends with all profits instead invested to protect services and jobs; and further believes that the Government should create an integrated, publicly-owned and accountable people’s railway where passengers and workers have a real voice, which puts people before profit by ensuring all revenues are used to safeguard and expand rail services, jobs and skills, to expand electrification, develop high speed lines and introduce affordable and fair fares.

…but I’m not sure renationalisation is the answer at the moment!

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »

Concessionary fares

01/04/2009 by admin.

This from the Daily Mail:

Pensioners left stranded as new law means free bus pass could no longer be valid

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:23 PM on 28th March 2009

Campaigners for the elderly today said the government had taken a ‘backward step’ with rule changes that could mean millions of pensioners are no longer able to use their bus passes for free national travel.

From next Wednesday, April Fool’s Day, the free pass will no longer be valid on routes where more than half the seats can be booked.

The Department of Transport say their ‘impact assessment’ concludes it will hit 22,500 coach trips per year.

bus

End of the road: the free pass will no longer be valid on routes where more than half the seats can be booked

Critics of the scheme say the well intentioned policy of giving free national bus travel to the elderly has been abused by pensioners and botched by the government.

Senior citizens have been accused of free-loading by ‘misusing’ the services intended for local trips to go on holiday and regular outings to the seaside, with queues of pensioners forming on popular routes.

Pensioners have countered by saying they have fought in World Wars and paid taxes all their life so deserve the free pass.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown first announced the £1 billion national scheme giving the elderly a ‘gold pass’ to use buses for free before the 2005 general election.

At first, it was only for routes within the local council area where the pensioner lived.

In April 2007, it was extended to allow unlimited travel anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm for 11 million pass holders.

Some coach services, including National Express services, were included in the concessionary schemes by local authorities.

It meant pensioners could hop on buses and coaches and with a couple of changes, travel long distances to enjoy trips out to the seaside and other tourist destinations.

Some pensioners have even travelled from Land’s End to John O’Groats without spending a penny on transport.

It has been one of the most popular initiatives for the elderly in a generation - too popular for it’s own good according to some.

Councils and bus and coach operators have complained the government’s formula for paying for the scheme is flawed.

It channels the money through local councils who get a set amount to pay the bus companies for the revenue they have lost through allowing the elderly to travel for free.

But many councils are saying that it has created a system of winner and losers - hardship for some popular places - windfalls for others.

Local authorities in seaside resorts and tourist destinations complain they have been inundated with pensioners and are having to pay bus companies for free fares but are not given enough money from the government to do it.

The shortfall could lead to increases in council taxes or cuts in services to bridge the shortfall.

Mervyn Cohler, special advisor to the charity Help the Aged said of the new rule change: ‘Obviously it is a shame and a backward step.

‘The way it has worked out is that is that some places are more attractive than others from the point of view of older users and the way it has worked out is that some south coast sea side resorts and tourist destinations are coming under increasing pressure from older people choosing to go there.

‘We want old age pensioners to have access to this service but the legislation is not capable of delivering that because we have not got the mechanism to allow provision to give compensation for bus companies to carry free passengers. We will fight for the government to provide it.

‘Isolation and loneliness in our pensioner population is substantial and damaging. We want to encourage them to get out and have a life and not be stuck in their own homes.

‘It is what I consider to be unfinished business.’

A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said: ‘The free bus pass was always intended for use on local bus services, indeed 11 million elderly and disabled people are now benefiting from the £1 billion scheme.

‘Following a full public consultation, these changes will clarify which types of service are outside of the spirit of the national concession, reducing potential for any confusion over whether a service is eligible, e.g. tourist and sightseeing buses and rail replacement services.

‘Local authorities can of course still offer concessionary travel on any service affected by the changes on a discretionary basis.’

So there is some sense in  the Department for Transport!!!!

Posted in Transport | Print | 1 Comment »

|