Bus passes

I don't get mine yet but would be willing to pay a one off fee or something (say £1) a trip. There has been uproar locally when the Council brought in a £1 charge for pre 9:30 journeys.

In rural areas like this, to be honest it's only the people with bus passes who keep the bus services going. Otherwise for most of the day there would only be one or two passengers on the bus. How many would stop using the buses if they had to pay I don't know - I would guess it's an important part of their life to many who use it who don't have other transport and would be isolated - and to be quite frank are some of the poorest in our community. Even on the town service round our quite small town, without the bus pass the cost there and back would be over £2 wherever you start or stop, which is chelseababy's suggestion - and that would be quite a lot for many of the very elderly pensioners around here who only have their state pension to live on.

£2 is cheap compared to the fares around here. To get from the outlying areas to the nearest High St and supermarket it's £5.60 each way for a journey of approx 8 miles.
There is a small free community bus for those that can proove their need but it only gives 2 hrs in town once a week.
I'm sure several people who rely on their bus pass would be stuck without it.
A small annual charge is not unreasonable.

I often said a £1 would be fine by me but an annual charge is also a good idea.

I have used my bus pass precisely twice locally in the years I have had it, because the buses around us are somfew and far between. But it comes into its own when I am in Birmingham or London or Oxford.
£25 a year? I would rahther get an Uber!!

It must depend where you live.
When we lived in Gateshead in the '90s I had a bus pass which gave me half fare. At the time I heard the pensioners in SE got a pass to completely free travel.
But the public transport system there was so good - it included the Metro, where you could go out to the NE coast for the day for next to nothing. Don't know if it's the same now.
But if it was, I would be happy to contribute something.

Our local authority issues a pass to all over 60, which gives free bus fares and half fare on off-peak trains. Observation suggests it's very well used, even by folk - admittedly including me until recently- who are still in work. I'd be willing to pay a set fare or even an annual contribution as for the paid-for Senior Railcard, but wouldn't like to see those who really need it deprived of cheap or free transport. It does create problems on those "off-peak" trains and city-centre buses which overlap with late or early commuting times. These are hugely over-crowded and the validity of passes at these times needs an urgent rethink.

To all over 60 Ellen that's good, I can't get one in my area until I'm receiving my pension at 67.

In Bournemouth often the tourists can't get on the busses because they are full of pensioners travelling free.

Bus passes have the benifit of keeping elderly drivers off the road. Gets people out to do their shopping, visit friends, attend events and in the process keeps them fitrer and healthier.

I am sure there is going to have to be a rethink about free bus passes especially in view of money needed for care. It is good if pensioners can have their say but lets be logical and fair and not try to hang on to something for free just because we have it.

We pay full fare on West Midlands buses and trains before 9.30, a token £1 on routes run by a smaller bus company. I appreciate the convenience of my bus pass and would certainly pay at least £20 annually to avoid having to find change and hold up other passengers, even £1 would be a source of irritation.
I have never heard any negative remarks from either young people or bus drivers. The latter should be reported. I know we're dubbed 'Twirlies' by some drivers due to our congregating at bus stops by 9:25 and asking 'Am I too early?' but don't mind that. Some drivers of buses a few minutes too early let us on and tell us to 'ding in' as we alight.

no charge please a small amount would cost possible more to administrate
and the temptation to raise would always be present
i love my free pass

I'm grateful for my bus pass. We are lucky as it also lets us travel free of charge on trains and trams within the West Mids conurbation, as Elrel says, after 9.30am.

Whenever the contract for Centro (the West Mids version of TfL) becomes due, there's a move in some quarters to charge pensioners on trains and trams. I would be more than happy to pay half fare if it would help to retain this excellent benefit.

I can't see that this would be difficult to implement. After all, children pay half fare already, don't they? Just extend it to pensioners.

Hear, hear. I would be very happy to pay something towards my bus fares. I know it encourages us wrinklies to use public transport, and that is good.
Surely they should be means tested. Those on only the basic pensions and benefits pay nothing; those who have an additional pension could pay a small contribution towards some altruistic scheme - Social Care, NHS or whatever. Something like £1 per trip.

Shall we try a meet up, Blinko?!

I would love a bus pass but I am one of the ones that won't receive it till I am 67 I lI've in West Yorkshire my husband retired 3 years ago and winter get his till he's 64 as I have an on going illness I need the buses but I would love it if the government would bring in half fares for us stuck in this trap. We would be able to explore more but if we go out now it costs us £8 40 for the buses which would pay for lunch so please enjoy your passes but someone please think about us

I would be happy to pay a fee but I think the bus passes should be free once you are,say, 80. I think a fee for the older people might put them off going out .

I don't know about the finances of this scheme. Is it paid for by government or local authorities? Do they just pay according to how much it is used, or a set amount?
I wouldn't mind making a contribution if it increased the viability of the bus service - ours has just been cut from one an hour, to one every two hours, and is always packed.

I love my bus pass. DH and I have used it all over the country and we can use it on local trains. I would be willing to pay a fee but I think there are some older people for whom the bus pass is a lifeline. Some people wouldn't be able to afford to pay and it would mean they would never get out.

Ajanela I live in Bournemouth and I also have an UNUSED bus pass.
Conversely when we've fancied taking an open top bus ride to Swanage for example, we've literally given up because every bus is full of tourists! Two sides to every story.

seasidelady I think an annual charge sounds like a good idea. My friends who use theirs regularly would still be quids in!

aalule I think the local authority pay a block sum for it according to the records of how much it was used in the previous year (or maybe an average of several years)

I would go along with excluding peak travelling periods in the morning and afternoon, and encouraging holders to use it at off-peak times when buses are not busy. It is more pleasant to travel then anyway, when you are retired and are not forced to stand on a crowded bus to work.

I would be lost without my bus pass. I have a bit of a disability so cannot carry too much at one time. Regular trips on the bus to town to shop would cost too much on a basic pension so i do use the pass a lot.
I do get a bit fed up with the sarcastic comments from some younger more able people but content myself with the thought that one day they themselves may be in my position & resent having the mean comments thrown at them.
Long live my bus pass ?

I rely totally on my bus/tram/train pass - it allows me, as a disabled carer of 2 other people, to get out of the house to attend hospital appointments, do a bit of shopping, go to a gentle exercise class once a week and is a lifeline. It's all right for those who can drive, have a reasonable income etc to say that we should pay for our travel, but I couldn't afford it - would be forced to use taxis (an extremely poor local bus service as it is).

I still drive everywhere (not round London now)although they did give me a bus pass when I reached 60. If I lived about 2 miles down the road I would get all travel free as London Boroughs get this. When I go to Town with friends from my WI I pay £12 for an all day travel card & they get the whole lot free. Another thing they thank Boris for.