Saturday 28 March 2009

Bus Passes


From next wednesday (April 1st although its no joke) bus passes, so loudly shouted as available for travel across the whole country, will not be valid on any service where 51% of the seats CAN be booked in advance. This effectively rules out loads of national express routes. Governments comment is that ' bus passes were only intended for local use'. My point being, little or no publicity has been given to the implications of this new legislation.

12 comments:

Peter C said...

I guess people can still travel nationwide using only local bus routes. It will just take much, much longer...

Anonymous said...

As far as i know National Express routes have never been FREE but you can get discounts for over 60s or disabilities.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11.05 is correct. The passes were only ever for local buses and that's why in the early days pass holders had great fun picking how to get from North to South free. I know of someone who goes from the Medway to thanet regularly via various routes. There are odd anomalies whereby different counties start the free travel later than in Kent.

Ken Gregory said...

Sorry to rain on your parade, but the fact that new legislation is needed proves that the long distance travel was included in the original deal.

Anonymous said...

I have a senior citizens bus pass, but I choose to pay rather than use it, because my unemployed neigbour is jealous of me and might bully me again if he finds out that I don't have to pay.

Anonymous said...

Maybe but National Express was NOT included.

World traveller said...

I had to pay OAP discount fare for my National Express ticket for one part of the journey when i travelled to Gloucestershire last year but travelled on all the other buses for free. It also works on London buses but not on the Underground.

Tony Flaig said...

Its not like your conservative party are renown for handing out to the needy.

Kent tories were looking for budget cuts but for some reason there still spending money like there's no tomorrow on promotional projects

Anonymous said...

It is good that the retired, disabled and certain other groups can have free local travel, but I don't think many would support free travel for them on long-haul routes (buses or trains).

You seem, Ken, not to be bothered about the principle, just trying to score political points over a loophole being closed. Why? Surely you are confident of a very strong Tory showing at the County Council elections in May?

Or are you worried that some may look unfavourably on Tory Kent's inept financial mismanagement - over their investments.

Anonymous said...

Inept Tory financial mismanagement? Ha ha ha ha.

Don Wood said...

I cant get on a bus anymore not that I ever did but it would be nice to be able to ..........sounds likeI am feeling sorry for myself NO WAY I refuse to give in I dont consider myself as disabled just unabled

Don Wood said...

We have a couple who come to church and they travel all over the country by local bus routes and love the challenge