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Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Pensioner's free travel

Bus services in South Tyneside could be decimated in a bid to finance free travel for pensioners, it was revealed today.

Transport operator Nexus needs to find GBP7.3m to plug a gap in Government funding to meet the cost of the scheme.
A series of cost-saving proposals has been drawn up, including cuts to secured routes, scholars' services, special care buses and discounts for children and students.
The move comes after Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown announced free bus travel for pensioners last year. Read more here

It seems that once again the Chancellor has shot New Labour in the foot with his move to promote free public transport for pensioners; given the drive to promote adherance to the Kyoto protocol and reduce greenhouse gases, and initiatives to promote the use of public transport, this threatened reduction in public transport services is likely to keep even the old in their own private vehicles.

My own parents and their friends tell me that they would be quite happy to have paid half price fares, or a flat rate fare for certain journies, rather than contribute nothing at all. So now we face a situation that could see outlying estates marooned from public transport services at certain times of day, or weekends, school services removed, and little or no transport to Boldon Colliery.

# posted by Curly : 9:33 pm

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Curly
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