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You get 24 hour free travel in some areas now, but it has to be issued by that local authority, like in Merseyside, Merseytravel issued disabled ENCTS passes are valid all day in Merseyside, but you have to wait until 09.30 if you want to travel outside Merseyside using the pass.
He's exactly right. I always thought it was silly they expected disabled people to just not have lives between 23:00 and 09:30.
Now, will this extend to blue pensioner passes in the future? It would be nice to not have the first bus around an estate after 09:30 not packed to the rafters.
No, they just expected disabled people travelling to/from work to pay their way, while giving them free off peak (leisure) travel. Free leisure travel is still a benefit not to be sniffed at.
I do see the point though, particularly when it comes to disabled people whose disability prevents them from driving, and so am not opposed to this change, I just think the above argument is excessively emotive and ignores that free off peak travel is still a good benefit.
Now, will this extend to blue pensioner passes in the future? It would be nice to not have the first bus around an estate after 09:30 not packed to the rafters.
I'd see this the same as above to be honest. If it means more pensioners give up their cars when their reactions are failing and so they are less safe on the road (or are disruptive to other road users due to excessive hesitancy and driving well below the speed limit unnecessarily) then it probably is a good thing overall, but free off peak travel is still a nice benefit. The cost in the scheme of things doesn't seem high.
I'd see this the same as above to be honest. If it means more pensioners give up their cars when their reactions are failing and so they are less safe on the road (or are disruptive to other road users due to excessive hesitancy and driving well below the speed limit unnecessarily) then it probably is a good thing overall, but free off peak travel is still a nice benefit. The cost in the scheme of things doesn't seem high.
Agreed. I don't exactly think it's safe to be following a Honda Jazz up a motorway slip road at 30mph. That's a topic for another forum entirely, however.
I thought it was strange for disabled railcards to have no time restrictions and for disabled bus passes to have them, although there's a big gap between discounted and free and I think season tickets still work out cheaper for disabled railcard holders commuting five days a week during peak times.
He's exactly right. I always thought it was silly they expected disabled people to just not have lives between 23:00 and 09:30.
Now, will this extend to blue pensioner passes in the future? It would be nice to not have the first bus around an estate after 09:30 not packed to the rafters.
I have had (for a very time) an ENTCS pass. Pass holders are not forced to travel only after 09.30; they can travel before by paying - currently no more than £3.
Personally, I think it's silly for people eligible for the ENTCS pass to voluntarily confine their lives to between 0930 and 2300 to save three quid (and soon, two).
Agreed. I don't exactly think it's safe to be following a Honda Jazz up a motorway slip road at 30mph. That's a topic for another forum entirely, however.
Another ageist sweeping generalisation. You will never get stuck behind my car on a slip road - it's a Z4. And I'm very old.
And I get stuck behind slow movers but can detect no common thread - although personally I find it's hard to be sure of the age of the driver of the car in front from the very limited amount I can see - possibly the top of their head -through a tinted window.
Another ageist sweeping generalisation. You will never get stuck behind my car on a slip road - it's a Z4. And I'm very old.
And I get stuck behind slow movers but can detect no common thread - although personally I find it's hard to be sure of the age of the driver of the car in front from the very limited amount I can see - possibly the top of their head -through a tinted window.
Not all slow/hesitant drivers are elderly (and not all elderly drivers are slow/hesitant), but it is true that the older you get the more your senses start failing. This being the case, it is a worthwhile endeavour to encourage those people to drive less (or not at all) with the nice little carrot of free bus travel. Free is quite powerful.
Additionally if we consider that reducing car traffic is a virtue in and of itself, targetting that carrot at people who are generally time-rich (given that going by bus is almost always slower than going by car) is going to make it more effective. The reason I don't use buses around Milton Keynes now is not that I care about it being £3, it's because they are of poor quality and slow. If I was retired and so a slow bus journey would become part of a day out rather than an irritant wasting valuable time, I might be more likely to switch, and the "free" while not essential is a bit of a nudge. If it was free to me as a middle aged working person I still wouldn't switch as I'm significantly time poorer than most pensioners. So it seems the right form of targetting.
I have had (for a very time) an ENTCS pass. Pass holders are not forced to travel only after 09.30; they can travel before by paying - currently no more than £3.
Personally, I think it's silly for people eligible for the ENTCS pass to voluntarily confine their lives to between 0930 and 2300 to save three quid (and soon, two).
That last sentence is a bit simplistic, many who have disabled ENCTS passes but don't travel on buses between 23.00 & 09.30 for various reasons, with the cost of living being the main reason.
Whilst single fares may be £3, those that have disabled ENCTS passes who have to travel 5 days a week before 09.30 (or after 23.00) that adds up to £15 for the week, & double that if they have to change buses
That last sentence is a bit simplistic, many who have disabled ENCTS passes but don't travel on buses between 23.00 & 09.30 for various reasons, with the cost of living being the main reason.
Whilst single fares may be £3, those that have disabled ENCTS passes who have to travel 5 days a week before 09.30 (or after 23.00) that adds up to £15 for the week, & double that if they have to change buses
Perhaps I should have made myself clearer - when I referred to 'ENCTS pass holders' I meant people that have a pass only on age grounds and wasn't referring to 'Disabled ENCTS pass holders'.
That last sentence is a bit simplistic, many who have disabled ENCTS passes but don't travel on buses between 23.00 & 09.30 for various reasons, with the cost of living being the main reason.
Whilst single fares may be £3, those that have disabled ENCTS passes who have to travel 5 days a week before 09.30 (or after 23.00) that adds up to £15 for the week, & double that if they have to change buses
So, they are in the same boat as the rest of us then! The cost of living affects plenty of people, not those with disabilities. The current situation is more than generous.
I struggle to understand why a disabled person who is in paid work should be able to travel to work at taxpayers expense.
I hope they take this opportunity to clamp down on the 'bring a friend' use of disables passes by people who clearly don't need a free companion travelling with them.
This is an excellent idea, it means I don't have to hang around til 09.20 to get out of the base when taking out a 1 to 1, with the possible added benefit I can avoid managers too lol.
I see it as genuinely good news. Hertfordshire already has no time restrictions but will hopefully remove any confusion where TFL is involved. Been caught out in Borehamwood and Potters Bar before and not even sure the drivers really understood the rules with disabled bus passes.
Hopefully the government will standardise other aspects of disabled bus passes, namely the companion passes and just make them available and valid nationwide. Again something that causes confusion in both Essex and London, drivers normally let Mum on for free regardless.
Also hoping the government will iron out the other weird parts of concessionary travel at last and make them all valid UK wide including Northern Ireland where it's still somehow half fare! And the other thing being the inconsistent offerings of concessionary rail and tram travel. Cheshunt has an oyster zone allocated to it, Freedom Pass holders can take the train here for free, us who live here can't take the train into London for free, it's only fair to make things the same on both sides, even if I was restricted to Overground services. Same problem with the Central Line to Epping.
The other thing is I hope they massively increase bus funding, buses are still massively cut back on where they were even in 2010, especially from late evening, that needs to change to realise the full benefit of what is otherwise a good policy.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
The £60 million funding comes from existing Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department for Transport (DfT) budgets. It is made up of a £40 million contribution from DWP, and a £20 million contribution from DfT.
Eligible disabled people across England will get free bus travel all day, every day, after the Prime Minister announced today (Tuesday 18 August) that the government will lift time restrictions on concessionary passes.
I see it as genuinely good news. Hertfordshire already has no time restrictions but will hopefully remove any confusion where TFL is involved. Been caught out in Borehamwood and Potters Bar before and not even sure the drivers really understood the rules with disabled bus passes.
Hopefully the government will standardise other aspects of disabled bus passes, namely the companion passes and just make them available and valid nationwide. Again something that causes confusion in both Essex and London, drivers normally let Mum on for free regardless.
Also hoping the government will iron out the other weird parts of concessionary travel at last and make them all valid UK wide including Northern Ireland where it's still somehow half fare! And the other thing being the inconsistent offerings of concessionary rail and tram travel. Cheshunt has an oyster zone allocated to it, Freedom Pass holders can take the train here for free, us who live here can't take the train into London for free, it's only fair to make things the same on both sides, even if I was restricted to Overground services. Same problem with the Central Line to Epping.
From memory, there's also a scheme where Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire disabled(?) bus pass holders can get discounted tickets on Thameslink and Great Northern services in those areas, which is inconsistent as as far as I know, there's no equivalent on other parts of their routes or elsewhere in Herts / Leighton Buzzard. I don't know how many people who could benefit from that wouldn't also be eligible for a disabled railcard.
I see it as genuinely good news. Hertfordshire already has no time restrictions but will hopefully remove any confusion where TFL is involved. Been caught out in Borehamwood and Potters Bar before and not even sure the drivers really understood the rules with disabled bus passes.
Hopefully the government will standardise other aspects of disabled bus passes, namely the companion passes and just make them available and valid nationwide. Again something that causes confusion in both Essex and London, drivers normally let Mum on for free regardless.
Also hoping the government will iron out the other weird parts of concessionary travel at last and make them all valid UK wide including Northern Ireland where it's still somehow half fare! And the other thing being the inconsistent offerings of concessionary rail and tram travel. Cheshunt has an oyster zone allocated to it, Freedom Pass holders can take the train here for free, us who live here can't take the train into London for free, it's only fair to make things the same on both sides, even if I was restricted to Overground services. Same problem with the Central Line to Epping.
The other thing is I hope they massively increase bus funding, buses are still massively cut back on where they were even in 2010, especially from late evening, that needs to change to realise the full benefit of what is otherwise a good policy.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
This is what it says in the government article.
The £60 million funding comes from existing Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department for Transport (DfT) budgets. It is made up of a £40 million contribution from DWP, and a £20 million contribution from DfT.
Eligible disabled people across England will get free bus travel all day, every day, after the Prime Minister announced today (Tuesday 18 August) that the government will lift time restrictions on concessionary passes.
It doesn't however say what the £60m was earmarked for, which will now not be funded.
I am fully supportive of the change which is long overdue but until we are told what previously planned activities are now not going to happen, I think caution is required.
Money doesn't just sit in departmental budgets, it will be earmarked for something.
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www.lbc.co.uk
