Bus Pass Confusion Set to Continue

5.31.28pm GMT Wed 13th Jan 2010

A suggestion by Liberal Democrats in a motion yesterday at full Council to rationalise the use of free bus travel passes by elderly people across the county was turned down flat by the Conservatives.

In some areas in Oxfordshire pensioners are allowed to use their free bus passes on community transport vehicles - whereas, in other areas, the passes are refused and people have to pay. For example, people living in those areas served by "The Octabus" (Dial-a-Ride) community scheme can use their passes, but people living in South Oxfordshire District cannot, because the Octabus does not run in their area. In West Oxfordshire, which has a variety of community transport schemes, the situation is even more mixed with some people using the old travel tokens and some operators accepting passes and some not. Some Districts provide passes for carers to accompany those with disabilities and some do not.

Cllr Zoe Patrick said, "These community transport schemes are very important in the more rural areas of our county - often they are the only bus that operates in some villages. Pensioners complain to me that it's all very well having a bus pass for free travel but what if they don't have a bus to use it on? Having usage restricted to just the commercial bus companies seems strange."

She added, "It seems only fair to me that there should be equality across the county, so that everyone can use their free bus pass on whatever type of bus transport runs in their area. Given that the County Council is due to take over operation of the concessionary bus pass scheme in the near future, I thought it would be good to introduce this as a principle now. I asked the County Cabinet to write to the Department of Transport accordingly. I am very surprised, and indeed, shocked that they seem not to care about the current patently unfair anomalies in the system."