A GOVERNMENT response to calls to sort out the chaos of paying for free pensioners' travel has been described as "completely inadequate" by a leading Liberal Democrat in Gateshead.
The decision of the government to introduce the free off peak bus travel scheme for pensioners has left a gaping £5 million hole in the finances of Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority. As a result, bus services and young people's travel is being slashed.
But in a debate in the Commons on 13th March on the impact of the scheme on Tyne and Wear, government minister Phil Woolas MP failed to make any commitments to sort out the £5 million shortfall. Elsewhere in the country the government are covering the cost of free pensioner travel.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Dr Jonathan Wallace said, "I have been contacted by many elderly constituents who are very worried about the free travel scheme.
"They have told me they would prefer to pay for their bus fares rather than see services slashed.
"The idea of free travel for the elderly is one I support but the government's botched job of introducing it has left residents here with fewer services and an enormous bill to pay.
"But the response of government minister Phil Woolas to requests to sort out the problem was completely inadequate. In effect, he was saying that the problem is ours to solve, even though they created it.
"This is a monumental example of government ministers passing the buck."
1 comment:
To suggest as you do that "services are being slashed " is very emotive. I travel daily between Swalwell and Newcastle/Gateshead on the routes operated by Go North East, Arriva and Stagecoach and after extensive enquiries can find no evidence of the slashing of services to which you refer.
Which bus services and which operators do you mean?
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