We asked for this a year ago, and have been pushing since at Council meetings. I'm glad to see this partial reintroduction, but older people will still struggle getting to early hospital appointments for example. We will keep working for unrestricted bus travel at all times for pensioners.
06/06/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release
Elderly people in Reading will be able to travel for free on local buses from 9am on weekdays, if proposals are adopted next week.
The nationally funded concessionary fares scheme means that, at the moment, people over pensionable age in Reading can only make use of free bus travel from 9.30am, Monday to Friday.
Reading Borough Council is now planning to introduce free bus travel for the elderly from 9am onwards on weekdays. The cost of funding the extra half-an-hour's free travel _ estimated to be between £29,000 and £46,000 per year - would be paid for with income from bus lane fines in the town.
The move would also bring Reading into line with neighbouring Wokingham and West Berkshire, where concessionary pass holders are currently able to travel from 9am Monday to Friday. This has been the source of some complaints, in particular from those Reading Borough residents who live close to the administrative boundary.
The proposed change to free bus travel from 9am for the elderly follows the re-introduction of free unrestricted bus travel for disabled residents and their carers last year by the administration.
No comments:
Post a Comment