London over 60s lose free peak travel. the pay-back begins...

My council tax is £ 273 a month for a two bedroom cottage, I don't call that cheap!
We use our freedom pass a lot, and it means that you spend the money that you save on travel on museums, galleries and eating out, keeping the economy going.

In Scotland there has been no peak hours rule on the buses.
The trains are different and I was caught out when I tried using my senior rail pass after 4.30pm.
I have had what I thought might be dirty looks if I got on the Express commuter bus in the morning.

I see my bus pass as a privilege but also as a reward for a long hard life where I have contributed in many different ways to society. the best 60th birthday present ever

I had just felt we were getting somewhere with the increased use of public transport, reopening of rail lines, possibility free buses for young people and then the Covid19 came along and everything went into reverse.

I understand taking the Freedom pass away at peak times to avoid competing with commuters but I would hate to think of older people being treated as less important. After all we are the ones who keep in the services going by using the buses during the day.

They have also stopped free travel for children as I understand it. Not sure of age limits yet.

Basically if you live in London and want to get into the centre you have to use public transport. I don’t disagree with the peak time ban - they are trying to restrict numbers and there is a reduced service , so it’s fair enough. I will be avoiding public transport anyway. London has had very good transport system , but why shouldn’t a great city have decent transport? because public transport is crap everywhere else? Surely everywhere in the country should be emulating London? If they are going to restrict over 60s maybe they should stop children having free transport out of school time as well

Ellianne why do you think your 60+ husband should get travel concessions while those under 60 should not?

Seems reasonable. However no one is going to be exempt from the cost of the pandemic. Watch the triple lock fade away

But River under 60s who are working do not have a Freedom Pass - where’s the logic in differential treatment at peak times?

I agree with your post of 15:08, MawB. Housing aside, I’m always astonished when we visit our son at how cheap it is to live in London. Council Tax is much less than here, too, and things like fuel prices.

And although some people think it should be in line with the rest of the country, ie bus passes only, I can't agree. Our basic state pensions are the same throughout the country, but believe me, living in London in general is much more expensive than elsewhere.

And some of us don't yet get the state pension - I'll be getting it later this year, SIX years late.

For the past 5 years I've regarded my 60+ Card as a bit of compensation for that.

Not gleeful Riverwalk, but one argument has been that Londoners receive the same State Pension as us country bumpkins and life in London is more expensive.
Of course for those working, the Pension argument is irrelevant. Apart from housing, though is life more expensive, I wonder? My experience of street markets and supermarkets near my daughters, especially those catering for some of the ethnic minority shoppers , are that they are both superior to and cheaper than my local shops!
But that is perhaps another topic altogether.

However, I don't want to feel that this is the beginning of the privilege being withdrawn for over 60s, as I know that's what they'd like to do
But that’s exactly what it is - a privilege and frankly who in their right minds wants to travel by bus, tube or train at peak time except in exceptional circumstances.
As a one-off is it too much to ask passengers to pay?
Coming on from the “provinces” we used often to be caught out if DH had a clinic visit at the Royal Free any earlier than 11o’clock as that necessitated a train before 9.30. But that was just something we had to put up with. If we had been closer, full fares up to 9.30 would not have affected us.
No, Londoners - your Freedom Pass is a valuable benefit which those of us in the rest of the country can only envy.

In other parts of the country you can’t use bus passes/ train tickets until after 9-30 when the rush hour has passed. Why would you want to travel in peak time ?

Because many over 60s, and I'm one, are still working. Many frontline NHS staff and other key workers are over 60.

I'm surprised at the number of posters who agree with the new rules, just because in other parts of the UK there are restrictions on when passes can be used.

Almost gleeful

My husband is the his early 60s and caught a tube around 6.30 am to work in the City. If they want Londoners to work until late 60s they could at least allow them free travel to get there.

Just Been on London Mayors Press Release here is an extract .
Mick
The Government is, in effect, making ordinary Londoners pay the cost for doing the right thing on Covid-19. They want fares to go up next January – ending the four years fares freeze I delivered after the last election. They have insisted that free travel is temporarily suspended for Freedom Pass and 60-plus card holders at peak times. We agreed it was the right thing to review the Congestion Charge.

I can completely understand the need to reduce passengers on London transport at peak times. It may be temporary or may become permanent but I think its quite fair and reasonable that pensioners don't take up spaces on public transport in the rush hour right now.

I am in the West Midlands My Senior pass cannot be used until after 9.30am. If you want to travel before then, you can show your pass and pay £1.00 on buses, not trains.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all.

I think it’s perfectly reasonable - I actually don’t know why in normal times they can travel at peak times anyway for free.

For all we have London Transport buses which by the way done take cash, we are one train stop from the London area so dont get Freedom Passes. There has been talk of extending zone 6 to include us but that has not happened. I have a Disabled Bus Pass which allows me free travel anytime here but not in other areas like Tyneside where I am from originally.

I'm in London - our Freedom Pass normally can be used at any time on buses, tubes and trams, and after 9.30am on trains. If it's just for the current crisis to ease the congestion on public transport during peak hours that's fine.

However, I don't want to feel that this is the beginning of the privilege being withdrawn for over 60s, as I know that's what they'd like to do.

And although some people think it should be in line with the rest of the country, ie bus passes only, I can't agree. Our basic state pensions are the same throughout the country, but believe me, living in London in general is much more expensive than elsewhere.

Yes, I could move - but all my family is here so I don't want to, and I think not paying for transport goes just a very small way to evening things .

I would use my freedom pass at 9am for an appointment, otherwise I am out later in the day. At the moment I won't be going anywhere by bus or train (no tube here) in line with the lockdown, so don't see how temporary restrictions affect anyone.
I do wish I could drive so I could travel once lockdown is lifted more!

Ok don’t see a problem with that. In other parts of the country you can’t use bus passes/ train tickets until after 9-30 when the rush hour has passed. Why would you want to travel in peak time ? They are trying to keep the trains as empty as possible for people returning to work, thus lowering the virus risk

Our London Freedom Pass does not allow free travel on trains before 9 or 9.30, I forget which. If you want or need to go before then, you pay. No problem on buses or the Tube, though TBH I’m not sure why it doesn’t apply to the Tube, too, given how crowded it can be during rush hours.

It’s a fantastic concession, but dh and I do often wonder how long it can last, especially now.

One advantage of it that’s not often mentioned is that it keeps a great many cars off the road. Like many others, dh and I drive a lot less since we had our FPs - that is until lockdown kicked off. We now drive to the supermarket where formerly I (who did most of it) would have walked the 20 minutes or so and got the bus back - shopping more frequently than now.

I think there should be more equality as regards to concessionary travel .
Up to March , my own County Council (Northamptonshire) decided to follow suite like others and brought in the 24/7 use of the bus pass.
Yet we are told by Boris and the Cabineteers ,that over 70`s,are strongly advised to stay at home.
Shop local being the trend, but if you live in a village and you get a bus service , in order to buy essential items you can travel to your nearest town to shop.
This also includes appointments at Surgery's or Hospital Outpatients.
I think London Freedom Pass needs to be in line with rest of UK, but its not only London which has other than Bus only use West Midlands , Greater Manchester , Liverpool , West Yorkshire all have there perks added on.
Mick

In Luxembourg all public transport is free, to everyone.