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Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
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Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:40 am ]
Post subject:  Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... asses.html

Quote:
Philip Hammond said that better-off people who are entitled to free bus travel could “make a contribution” by choosing to pay fares instead.
Anyone born before April 1950 is eligible for a free annual bus pass giving free off-peak travel on local buses anywhere in England.
The scheme costs around £1 billion a year and some have questioned whether the perk should be given to anyone regardless of how much money they have

So what if they get back in their cars and clog up the roads?
Author:  pcernie [ Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
To try and enforce rules would almost certainly cost even more, not to mention be incredibly unpopular amongst those people who are actually getting out and about, presumably spending money in shops :roll:
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
I thought it was contradictory to the trying to clear the roads policy. If this keeps pensioners off the road for those that work isn't that better?
Author:  eddie543 [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
Amnesia10 wrote:
I thought it was contradictory to the trying to clear the roads policy. If this keeps pensioners off the road for those that work isn't that better?

Ye but we live in times where money is tight so heavyer traffic might be another price to pay. I live in manchester so roads are rarely jammed anyway.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
I live in an area where traffic is bad much of the time. I do not benefit but can see the benefits for those who do drive, if the roads are cleared of some pensioners.
Author:  belchingmatt [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
Generally I don't see pensioners on the buses when students and workers are commuting.
Author:  trigen_killer [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
The government does give money and privileges to all OAPs regardless of their financial position. My wife's two grandmothers couldn't have been more different, financially.

One had her own (modest) house, lots of investments in companies, race-horses and all manner of stuff, as well as a decent amount of cash. The other lived in a council house and almost lived hand to mouth.

The first time that the government decided to hand out winter heating allowance, guess which one was entitled to receive it by virtue of age?

So, the bus passes. Financially, how much does it really cost the establishment to have an elderly person on the bus that doesn't pay, who might otherwise be stuck at home going slowly crazy.

They will be out and about, keeping fit and active and spending money in the shops-

OR, they will be out in their cars, which is exactly what they would be doing if they didn't have a bus pass. The bus companies only lose out if the pensioner has always used the bus, and now does not have to pay. At the same time, a new generation of travellers will be using the buses. Swings and roundabouts.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
trigen_killer wrote:
The bus companies only lose out if the pensioner has always used the bus, and now does not have to pay. At the same time, a new generation of travellers will be using the buses. Swings and roundabouts.

Actually the bus companies do not lose out. The bus companies charge a single fare for every trip. So if a pensioner was going to use the bus a lot that day, they would have normally got a day ticket but now the bus company get fares for every single journey. So they do not lose out. Also a billion a year for all the pensioners to get free transport seems great value. It seems to be taking means testing to an extreme.
Author:  trigen_killer [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
Amnesia10 wrote:
Actually the bus companies do not lose out. The bus companies charge a single fare for every trip.


Ah. So the bus companies won't complain. Sorry if I didn't understand (or read the whole story), I just thought a free pass was a free pass. I didn't realise that the state is now funding every single journey.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes'
trigen_killer wrote:
Amnesia10 wrote:
Actually the bus companies do not lose out. The bus companies charge a single fare for every trip.


Ah. So the bus companies won't complain. Sorry if I didn't understand (or read the whole story), I just thought a free pass was a free pass. I didn't realise that the state is now funding every single journey.

I thought that as well, until I had a chat with a bus driver who lives nearby. In fact if they do cut back then the companies could lose out as they will be not getting paid, and a lot less than if they lost an ordinary customer, because of the extra revenue that they get for each journey.
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