Rally in Leigh to defend free transport for senior citizens
Article published: Friday, October 15th 2010
A public rally is to be held this Saturday (16 October) to highlight the threat to the over 60s’ Free Bus Pass posed by the coalition government’s public spending cuts.
Members of the UNITE trade union, the Wigan People Against Cuts group and Greater Manchester campaigners for free public transport will come together to call for the retention of the pass in its current form and its extension to all those under the age of 18 and the unwaged.
The free bus pass scheme benefits 11 million over-60s but has been criticised due to its universal availability – regardless of incomes. But those who defend it say pensioners on higher incomes use public transport less than their poorer counterparts and therefore the strain on local authorities is not hugely increased.
Tensions between local authorities, who subsidise the passes, and local transport companies have emerged since the scope of the passes was extended to allow transport across the whole of England. A source inside the bus sector told MULE: “Given the funding of the pass was under financial strain prior to the General election, we suspect that the free bus pass will be cut…at least [there will be] some restrictions to its use”.
While the free pass costs the taxpayer £1bn a year, the scheme has been lauded for improving social inclusion.
Pensioners are one of the sections of society who are likely to suffer massively following the raft of cuts which will be announced in the government’s spending review next week. According to research by the charity Age UK, over 75s will be hit harder than any other group, with the poorest bracket losing the equivalent of 29% of their household income (as measured in public services) by 2015.
Campaigners say that the abolition of the pass will compound this increasing poverty.
A member of Greater Manchester Campaign for Free Public Transport told MULE: “Many older people rely on public transport one way or another to get around … [the] phasing out of the current pass would greatly curtail that – in addition to that also the huge planned fare increases”.
President of Leigh UNITE Branch Stephen Hall said: “”Meeting at its first national policy Conference in Manchester in June, UNITE, which represents bus drivers as well as other workers, resolved to add its weight to the fight to defend the pass, and that is precisely what local members from the Leigh branch will be doing on Saturday”.
Campaigners will meet at Leigh Bus Station from 12 noon on Saturday
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