The MP has received a string of letters and calls from local residents with concessionary passes complaining about the Council’s refusal to stick to the 9am start time that applied to the previous Kent countywide concessionary scheme that operated until the end of March.

“I think Dartford’s decision not to fund the extra half hour is miserly. It has inconvenienced hundreds of older people in Dartford who rely on the bus in order to get to early morning GP and hospital appointments and so on. People living in the more rural parts of Dartford have been hit particularly hard by this decision given the infrequency of services in their areas; some of them now having to wait until nearly 10am to get a bus,” said Dr Stoate.

“The council says it is unhappy about the way in which the Government is funding the new national scheme and that it doesn’t want to take the risk of funding the extra half hour. I think this is a just smokescreen however. Council officers have in fact admitted to me that the grant from the Government is likely to be enough.”

“And let’s not forget that neighbouring authorities such as Thurrock, Medway and Surrey, which are in the same financial position as Dartford, have decided to fund the extra hour: if they can do it why can’t Dartford?

 
Notes

Development of concessionary travel

The Transport Act 2000 introduced a national minimum standard across England for concessionary travel. It imposed a duty on district and unitary councils to provide half fare travel on buses within the council area between 9.30 and 23.00 during the week and all day at weekends.

In April 2006 the national standard was extended to provide free off-peak bus travel in the local area between 9.30 and 23.00.

From April 2008 the national standard has been extended to provide free off-peak bus travel across the country between 9.30 and 23.00.

Local authorities have the powers under the Transport Act 1985 to provide more generous concessions for their residents out their own resources if they wish beyond the statutory national minimum standards. Prior to 2006 eligible Dartford residents were able to choose between the DartFare 20 scheme operated by Dartford BC which offered 20p journeys within the borough and a Kent County Council scheme which offered half-price travel across the county. This was replaced by a single scheme in 2006 which offered Dartford residents free off-peak travel from 9am covering all journeys that start or finish in Kent. When it introduced the new national concessionary scheme earlier this month however Dartford BC decided not to offer residents any additional concessions beyond the national statutory standard set down by the Government.