Pensioners to miss out on Brown's Free Bus Pass

Published on Mon 11th Apr 2005

The Independent revealed that thousands of pensioners would miss out on the free bus travel promised in Gordon Brown's Budget because of where they live. The Government has admitted that free bus passes for pensioners will only cover travel within the local authority in which they are resident.

Congleton Borough residents wishing to travel to shops and hospitals in other authorities such as Macclesfield or Stoke, will still have to pay for their journeys. In such cases, the Chancellor's promise of "free local bus travel for every pensioner" will not be fulfilled, said Mervyn Kohler, the head of public affairs at Help the Aged.

Pensioner groups have reacted angrily at the latest catch in the scheme, "If you are going to claim to be offering free transport, it needs to be genuinely free whatever the journey pensioners are making." Help the Aged pointed out that local authorities in London already offer free bus passes to pensioners, enabling cross-borough travel at no charge and similar system also operates in Scotland.

Local Lib Dem Simon Davey will fight to achieve free off-peak transport accross county and borough boundaries for all pensioners and people with disabilities.