| Friday, 25 February 2005 | |
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MP calls for free off-peak public transport for pensioners Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has launched a campaign calling for free off-peak public transport for pensioners. Under the Transport Act 2000, all local authorities are obliged to offer pensioners at least 50% off local public transport fares, but have the discretion to offer more generous schemes if they wish. Currently pensioners in Dartford have the option of applying for a Dartfare20 pass, which costs £5 and entitles them to a flat rate bus fare of 20p per journey, a Kent wide pass which provides them with the statutory minimum 50% discount on bus journeys in Kent, or a rail voucher. Pensioners in Wales and Scotland however and in London, Liverpool and other English metropolitan areas have the right to free off-peak travel on local public transport. Dr Stoate is calling on the Government to go further and provide free public transport for all pensioners in the UK. “I want to see a single concessionary regime in place that covers the whole of the country. I don’t think it is right that some pensioners receive free public transport whilst others miss out. Making public transport free for all pensioners would not only be fairer, but it would also allow pensioners to be more independent and more mobile,” said the MP. “One of the biggest problems with the present concessionary system is that pensioners are limited to travel within the boundaries of their local authorities. This means that pensioners in Southfleet and New Barn for example, who do their shopping in Gravesend or at Sainsbury’s in Pepper Hill, can’t use their Dartfare20 pass to get there. Similarly Dartford pensioners who live on the border with Bexley, can’t use their pass to visit Bexleyheath or Crayford, even though they are only a few miles away. This clearly isn’t right.” The MP has now signed an early day motion (446) calling on the Government to provide the extra resources necessary to provide free off –peak public transport for all pensioners. Note Campaigners estimate that the cost of introducing free pensioner travel on public transport across the UK would be in the region of £300million. |
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© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
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