Ticketing and Concessionary Travel on Public Transport - United ...

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operators <strong>and</strong> avoids the waste <strong>and</strong> rancour generated by the current system. The
Government should investigate this as part of its review of Bus Service Operators
Grant. Some people argue for a national reimbursement mechanism as in Scotl<strong>and</strong>.
Whilst this appears attractive we do not support it at this stage. Engl<strong>and</strong> is much larger,
with greater variation, <strong>and</strong> we fear this would simply increase costs as the Government
would be unlikely to scrutinise claims as closely as local government. A rapid roll-out of
ITSO equipment on buses would help improve the accuracy of ridership data. Fewer
travel concession authorities would also help.
Extending the scope of concessionary travel
94. The concessionary travel scheme is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success
<strong>and</strong> there are calls for it to be extended to other modes of transport <strong>and</strong> to other categories
of people. The National Pensioners Convention is seeking “free nationwide travel on all
public <strong>and</strong> local transport”. This would give concessionaires greater choice <strong>and</strong> would
include tram, rail <strong>and</strong> community transport services <strong>and</strong> tokens for taxis.
95. Many local authorities continue to use their powers under the Transport Act 1985 to
enhance the national concessionary travel scheme for older <strong>and</strong> disabled people living
locally. Typically, the passenger transport executives will provide concessionary travel on
local trams <strong>and</strong> trains; other councils permit travel before 9.30am; <strong>and</strong> in rural areas some
councils provide tokens for taxis or allow concessions on community transport or dial-aride
services. This can cause confusion <strong>and</strong> accusations of ‘postcode lottery’ but this is an
inevitable corollary of allowing local enhancements.
96. The Government’s view is that this is a matter for local authorities. For example,
regarding rail “The Government recognises that there will be people, particularly in rural
areas, who have better access to a rail service than to a bus service. It remains open to local
authorities to provide free travel by rail in such circumstances.” 89 <strong>Travel</strong> Watch SouthWest
<strong>and</strong> others have pointed out that, in some areas, free bus travel has abstracted significant
numbers of passengers from local rail services, which makes no sense as both receive public
subsidy. 90
97. Help the Aged, the Joint Committee for the Mobility of Blind <strong>and</strong> Partially Sighted
People, the Community Transport Association <strong>and</strong> other groups representing older <strong>and</strong>
disabled people argue for a range of specific extensions to the national scheme. They point
out that conventional buses are, in practice, not accessible to many older <strong>and</strong> disabled
people <strong>and</strong> so the neediest are often unable to take up the concession to which they are
entitled. This is not simply a lack of low-floor buses but a more fundamental point that
many people entitled to concessionary travel find it difficult, if not imposable, to use public
transport. 91 Separate grants are available to people with more severe mobility impairment
but these are much more limited <strong>and</strong> the freedom the freedom to travel at no cost,
nationwide, is denied to them. These groups also make a cogent case for widening the
range of people entitled to concessionary travel to on grounds of mental health difficulties.
89 Cm 7176, para 10.34
90 Ev 102–112
91 Ev 145–149