Bus passes

Did you ask them where they got the information? That's usually a good way of finding out how true rumours are likely to be.

Who is 'they'? Big bad Starmer I suppose.

Sigh

I’ve not heard anything about this at all and I think there would have been a far bigger outcry.

There are no immediate plans to withdraw bus passes for people of pensionable age in England.

Is this thread yet another opportunity for like minded people to have a pop at Keir Starmer and the Labour Party?

There has been a petition launched, which is gathering notice in MSM, to lower the age of free bus transport to 60. This would bring rest of England in line with London and Scotland.

I'm not accusing OP of doing this deliberately or with any malicious intent, but this is scaremongering.
What reliable evidence do you have?

RosieandherMaw

I'm not accusing OP of doing this deliberately or with any malicious intent, but this is scaremongering.
What reliable evidence do you have?

Agree

I hold Reeves responsible for all this scaremongering. If she hadn't taken away the WFA, these sort of rumours would not be happening.

Quite apart from anything else, they do keep quite a few cars off the roads. They do around here, anyway, where public transport is very good. I mostly use my car only for longer journeys, e.g, the 60 miles to a dd.

Oh my, here we go again...

I wouldn't say that the OP is scaremongering. As I see it, the OP is simply asking a question. Presumably because she/he is concerned about the the possibility of the bus pass being withdrawn.
It is a valid question, deserving of an informed response.

Aldom

I wouldn't say that the OP is scaremongering. As I see it, the OP is simply asking a question. Presumably because she/he is concerned about the the possibility of the bus pass being withdrawn.
It is a valid question, deserving of an informed response.

How can we, as users of a social media discussion board, give an 'informed response'? All we can do is point out that there have been many unfounded rumours against the new government, and that as far as we know, this is just another one.

Rachel, I think, stated that bus passes would remain, but I do not know if she wants us to pay, for example, so much when we receive them. Time will tell.

Thank you Charleygirl I consider that to be as informative as possible.

Instead of this vague “several people seem to think so”, why not put your own argument(s) for and against why this might happen? What would be the logic for removing concessionary passses and what would the economic, practical and social consequences be?

I’ll give an economic reason for NOT removing passes - one based on 2023 government figures.

There were 8.7 million concessionary passes. 90% were pensioner passes. Passes cost the government £887 milllion a year. That’s the sum it has to reimburse bus operators. An average of 65 journeys are made each year per pass. In London, the average number of journeys per pass was significantly higher at 173.

Say around 700 million journeys are made each year. People make journeys for a purpose and usually spend money at their destination. Say a modest £20.00 was spent at the destination on every journey. That’s 14 billion going into the economy to support businesses. Assuming every transaction attracts VAT at 20% that’s £2.8 billion going to the Exchequer against an outlay of £887 million.

Of course, some people would still make the journey even if they had to pay a £3 fare per journey but many wouldn't or couldn't and that would affect local business and tax revenue. Bus fares do not attract VAT.

My re-newed bus pass arrived in the post just last week oddly enough and we had a conversation regarding them.......we both agree that we. would continue to use them if we had to pay a nominal fee for the pass or even a reduced bus fares - perhaps £1.
If we took the car to town that would mean parking at £2+ as well as fuel and other running costs, wear on tyres etc. I accept that not everyone might be able to afford to pay but it would help surely.

We had a similar discussion astitchintime. My pass is free, my mum paid for hers when she first had one and was quite cross when it became free as she felt she could afford to pay the nominal amount and so should do so.

I hope they stay and am not aware of any plans to remove them. Car parking is expensive an such a pain!

OldFrill

There has been a petition launched, which is gathering notice in MSM, to lower the age of free bus transport to 60. This would bring rest of England in line with London and Scotland.

No, should stay at pension age.

Ilovecheese

I hold Reeves responsible for all this scaremongering. If she hadn't taken away the WFA, these sort of rumours would not be happening.

We love our bus passes, although we also use the train with our Senior railcards. We no longer have a car.

This does not contribute to the debate, but I just wanted to add my tuppenceworth.

I imagine bus passes are probably in the same danger of being cut as any of the other "something for nothing" schemes. We're given something which is allegedly buck-shee (sp?) and for a while we're thankful for it - but eventually we start to think of it as our moral and ethical right. Times are undoubtedly tough and I wouldn't like the job of deciding how to put the economy right! But I do question the morality of starting the cutbacks by targeting the more vulnerable citizens who, to the people in charge of balancing the books, don't matter as much as other taxpayers - but that's a whole other debate...

I would like to see the bus passes being made valid UK wide. At the moment we have to pay bus fares during the several months each year we (DH & I) we spend in Scotland. We own a one bedroom flat there and pay council tax (willingly). Our council tax was increased last year by 100%. It seems unfair that we cannot have a bus pass to use while there.

Ilovecheese

I hold Reeves responsible for all this scaremongering. If she hadn't taken away the WFA, these sort of rumours would not be happening.

That doesn’t give people carte Blanche to spread lies and misinformation does it?