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Free bus travel to GP blow for OAPs
Wednesday 19th November 2008, 11:37AM GMT.
Pensioners in the Black Country who need early GP appointments have been told they will have to keep paying for bus travel if they want to leave before 9.30am.
After a six-month study, transport authority Centro has decided not to extend the free bus travel scheme for people in the over-60s who want to see a doctor first thing in the morning. The report was today criticised as a “soft-soaping” response while a pensioner group branded it “disappointing”. The decision means anyone with a free bus pass must still pay the full adult fare during peak times.
Councillors on the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority asked Centro to look into the extension in the spring, around the time new passes were introduced offering pensioners free off-peak travel on any local bus service in England.
They said they had been approached by elderly people who complained of the “financial burden” if they needed to see doctors before the start of concessionary travel.
But a report issued today by Centro’s bus and highways director Stephen Rhodes has recommended leaving the concessionary passes as they are because hospitals offer a “choose and book” service to allow pensioners to arrange appointments after 9.30am.
Instead he recommends working with health trusts to promote a scheme where those on benefits can claim back their transport costs from the NHS.
He said: “It is very difficult to make an accurate assessment of the costs of such an enhancement as neither the NHS trusts nor transport operators are able to provide any data relating to elderly or disabled pre-9.30am patronage.”
Councillor Judith Rowley, who represents Wolverhampton on Centro’s panel, said: “It does seem the request has been given a soft-soaping.
“If you can’t use the bus before 9.30am then that means you can’t arrange an appointment before 10am, especially if you live in Penn or Blakenhall and need to catch two buses to get to New Cross Hospital.”
Retired police chief John Mellor, aged 79, of Graiseley, is president of the Wolverhampton National Pensioners Convention. He said: “It is very disappointing. We have been asking for the start time to be brought back for many years.”
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I fail to see the problem. Appointments can be made for after 9.30am. Or can spend the bus fare to attend early.
Considering how many appointments are available, how hard is it to decide to take one that allows free travel (ie after 9.30 travel?
Funny really, most other groups of people don’t get free travel for any appointments even after 9.30.
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Of course, one could point out that there is no such thing as ‘free bus travel’ for pensioners. It’s paid for from the taxes of those of us who are struggling to work on buses before 9.30am!
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This is riduclous why would they want to catch the busy buses that are obviously full of children, students and people rushing to work. As someone who works full time my opions is that they shouldn’t be offered the early appointments anyway as they have all day to go to hospital/doctors appointments when people like me need to take these appointments to fit in with our busy working days!
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I AGREE WITH POST 1, AND I FOR ONE AM SICK OF HEARING ABOUT THE POOR OLD FOLKS, ALTHOUGH I AM ALMOST ONE MYSELF. WHAT IS THERE LEFT FOR THEM TO MOAN ABOUT, I’M SURE WE WILL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH.
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Agree with no1. Pensioners have all the time in the world to do things we workers have to struggle to find the time for. If its urgent-pay your bus fair, its not like its going to cost the earth is it?
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Considering the amount of free travel we pensioners get, I don’t think we have any cause for complaint. Pay your fare or go later and stop moaning. Be grateful for what we get.
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It is disgraceful that free travel passes for pensioners are only to be used after 9.30am and not 24 hours a day. If the bus operators that 24-hour free travel for pensioners would see demand for bus services outstrip supply, then it’s up to the bus operators to create adequate supply.
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Agree with No1. No wonder we are called Twirlees, as a pensioner myself I hate to listen to other pensioners constant moans !!!!! What is the rush, even used to see them waiting at 8.30am for Post Office to open to collect pension, get a life. Why the RUSH, appointments can be made for later,and rightly do they really want to travel on a bus full of people trying to get to work on time and children getting to college, I don’t. Even week ends they have to go shopping, I deplore this HABIT and refuse to shop on a Friday or Saturday, I condemn any pensioner shopping on a Saturday we have all week to do it, give the workers a chance I hated having to shop on a Saturday when I was at work, falling over pensioners trolleys and sticks, they can ‘Turn on a Tanner’ and leg you over. Blesssssss but God forbid I ever turn into one of these miserable pensioners, at 64 I have told my son’s to put a bag on my head if I get like that……. and I think the one would he’s a Bus Driver ha ha so I know I will never be allowed on before 9.30 am why should I, all other good folk have to pay so don’t try to dodge it, just be gratefull for the fee travel we get.
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Alex – so presumably you won’t mind paying to provide that ‘supply’?
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Pensioners really don’t do themselves any favours when they continually moan. They should be grateful with the bus service they get at present, I know my mother is. On the plus side, at least it gives other a chance at GP surgeries first thing in the morning when confronted with many a pensioner!
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I am sick to death of hearing about pensioners being poor and filling the buses so those who do work have to stand.And i also believe they should make a contribution towards the bus fare at least 20p a journey so it doest keep rising sky high for those paying the tax to fund their benefits.
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Not everyone over 60 is a pensioner ! It would be nice to be able to look forward to going to work for free on public transport, and this would avoid the need to put one more car on the road. This concession should start before 9.30. Shops open before 9.30, too, so what is the logic behind that particulat time ? The concession is useable during the afternoon rush-hour, so why not in the morning, too ? It’s not as if it’s going to be used to such an extent that it’ll make that much difference, is it.
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I agree that it makes more sense for pensioners to travel after 9.30a.m. where the buses will be less crowded…BUT….oh dear, the tone of some of the posts leave a lot to be desired, i’m a tax payer and I have no moans about pensioners getting free travel, what a very tough society we are getting!
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