National pensioner bus plan too late for Tyne and Wear - Wallace

PLANS announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown for a national scheme for free bus travel for the elderly will be too late for Tyne and Wear, claims Blaydon Liberal Democrat Dr Jonathan Wallace.

Tyne and Wear are currently making £5.4 million of cuts to local bus services as a result of the failure of the government to pay the full costs of its decision to pay for free travel for pensioners within individual transport authority areas.

In the budget today, the government announced plans to introduce by 2008 a scheme for free off peak bus travel for pensioners to be run on a national basis. That will mean pensioners will not have to pay to travel if they cross a council boundary.

But with the scheme up to two years away, Tyne and Wear will have to make swingeing cuts in the meantime.

“The fact the government have changed their free bus travel scheme shows their current policy is a botched job,” said Dr Wallace, who is a councillor in Gateshead.

“Though we are yet to see the details, the fact the government will make this a national scheme, rather than the current local one, is a move in the right direction.

“It means elderly people will not be caught out when crossing local council boundaries. And it will mean the costs fall directly on the government rather than the council tax payer.

“But it is little comfort for the people of Tyne and Wear who face up to two years of cuts to bus services before we feel the benefit of the national scheme starting.”