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Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9496		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:48 am ]
Post subject:  Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10657515

Quote:
The age at which people in England get a free bus pass could go up from 60 to 65 sooner than previously planned, under new plans.

Labour wanted to introduce the policy by 2020, but the Department of Transport has suggested bringing it forward as part of the coalition government's budget cuts.

Currently, the department spends £1bn a year on free travel for the elderly.
Author:  belchingmatt [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
Makes sense with the current economy. If you work until you're 65 then you don't need a bus pass until that time, especially as we are now living longer.
Author:  hifidelity2 [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
It should automatically track the retirement age
It should also be means tested
Author:  belchingmatt [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
I'm not sure about the means testing. After all, if they have the means they aren't likely to use the bus. Also I think it comes to a point when people (should) have contributed enough that there should be some sort of waiver, as there is for the TV licence, although a free licence for a whole household for having just one person over 75 does seem a little too much IMO.
Author:  Linux_User [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
I feel sorry for bus companies. They get less than 50 pence per passenger with a bus pass, and effectively run at a loss for every free bus pass passenger they carry.

So effectively their travel is hugely subsidised by the bus company, not the taxpayer, HM Treasury must be laughing.
Author:  EddArmitage [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
What bugs me is people with OAP bus passes getting printed tickets. Why??? If I travel on abus pass of any other type (ie. an operator run scheme) then I have my pass as proof that I can use the bus. In fact with the 10-journey punch-a-hole-in-a-box passes that Wessex Connect use for their UniConnect service here in Bath, there's no proof at all that you've "spent" a journey on your pass on that given day - it's just the driver's memory/word.

It just seems rather wasteful, and delays people boarding buses, compared to how it could be if passengers could just walk straight on having shown a pass, and the driver hitting a button to record an OAP pass so they can claim the money back. Maybe the government insists on having a start/destination with each transaction. It's still silly.

/rant
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Free bus pass age rise may be sped up amid budget cuts
hifidelity2 wrote:
It should automatically track the retirement age
It should also be means tested

I am not so worried about the means testing. The rich may still drive much of the time anyway, so not really costing that much anyway. I do agree that it should track the retirement age.
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