28 February 2011, 2011/37
Concessionary travel
West Lancashire Borough Council is asking
Lancashire County Council to continue to provide concessionary
travel on community transport for the borough’s elderly and
disabled residents from April 2011.
Responsibility for concessionary travel will
shift from the Borough Council to the County Council from April as
a result of Government legislation, and the funding for the service
will also be transferred. This means that there will be changes in
the way the system operates.
Currently, people of pensionable age and
disabled people can apply for a NowCard bus pass that gives them
free travel on off-peak buses all over England. People will still
be entitled to this, but Lancashire County Council will take over
all administration of the scheme.
Because the money the Council currently spends
has been removed from its budget as part of these changes, from
April, West Lancs Borough Council will no longer provide the extra
discretionary travel concessions for elderly and disabled people
that it currently offers over and above the NowCard. These extras
include the option to have travel tokens or a senior railcard
instead of a NowCard, and the ability to use the NowCard on
peak-time services and on community transport.
In order to minimise the effect on people who
cannot use conventional public transport, the Borough Council has
agreed to ask the County Council to use part of the funding
transferred to offer eligible West Lancashire elderly and disabled
residents a discretionary travel concession on community transport
such as Dial-a-Ride.
Councillor David Westley, portfolio holder for
finance, said:
“In West Lancashire, for many years we have
offered elderly and disabled people a range of extra travel
concessions, which cost us around £330,000 a year. But from
April the system will change and it will not be possible, given the
reduction in funding and the other financial challenges facing
us, for the Borough Council to continue to provide these
extras.
“Before coming to a decision, we gathered the
views of groups who represent elderly and disabled people, and
carried out a major survey involving around 1,300 people. We looked
carefully at the results and noted that overall there was no
support for continuing to provide the extra options if others
services would have to be cut to pay for them.
“Free travel for elderly and disabled people
on community transport was seen as the most important extra option.
Therefore we are asking the County Council to ensure that elderly
and disabled will be able to continue to have a travel concession
on community transport.”
It must be stressed that elderly and disabled
people will continue to be able to apply for a NowCard that
gives free travel on off-peak buses all over
England.
Customers can direct all enquiries to
the County Council’s NowCard helpline on 0845 058
1096.
The changes in West Lancashire apply to the
extra travel concessions that the Borough Council has provided for
a number of years.
Elderly and disabled people in West Lancashire
who have previously opted to have travel tokens or a senior
railcard instead of a NowCard will no longer be able to choose that
option and will be able to have a NowCard instead. Further
information will be provided in the next few weeks advising them
how they can apply for a NowCard.
Further information