The scheme introduced by Labour in 2008 to bring English pensioners a benefit which had been enjoyed by the Scots and Welsh for many years prior and to gift free off peak bus travel to almost 20% of English residents, has untold benefits beside filling empty seats on off peak buses.
Regular travel by bus helps to break the cycle of social isolation something that has been prevalent in the lives of many pensioners during the recent pandemic as well as giving people the chance to exercise whilst shopping and enjoying travel further that their local shops that they may possibly just not be bale to afford otherwise.
In 2008 the scheme benefited everyone over the age of 60, 10 years of Tory austerity changed the face of the scheme and now people can only access the pass when they reach pensionable age, thats now a seven year cost saving to the Government from its original concept.
The affordability of the scheme is currently in question by Councils and the condition the current Conservative Government has left many County and Metropolitan Boroughs in financially through increased Covid 19 social services and public health costs has them considering the price of the scheme particularly when buses are also non-commercial and subsidised in rural areas. With Tory councillors asking about ‘double charging’ e.g. subsidy and covering pass costs as successive austerity led Governments have allowed more and more of the costs fall onto hard pressed local authorities.
The Concessionary Bus Travel Act states that local bus operators should be “no better nor worse off” as a result of the scheme, which meant that reimbursement rates would be less than standard fares to allow for the fact that many extra journeys would be taken by pass holders. This ensured Councils got an excellent rate for journey’s travelled.
Covid 19 has vastly reduced the benefits to the bus companies and the worry that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is running around trying to blame the costs of Covid 19 on anyone but the Johnson Government doesn’t bode well for the continuation of the pass scheme.
Local and National Government spent £985M on the concessionary bus pass scheme last year but that was offset by the £2,9Bn spent by pass holders in local economies on a trip taken with their pass.
State pensioners who make up 20% of England's population are needed to aid the financial recovery of the nation as they make up the prime daytime economy from Monday to Thursday. They support local markets and shopping and have increased their spend as the triple lock which is also being attacked by the Tories has grown their incomes.
We laymen in Northumberland are extremely concerned about the Tories thoughts on double charging and the cost implications on Councils next year as bus companies have taken a huge hit through Covid 19. The Council in Northumberland has recently released figures about supported buses and its those supported buses and the communities they serve which will be hit first so we urge everyone with a concessionary pass to ensure they use it as soon as they feel safe enough to do so and save rural buses in Northumberland and across England.
Northumberland County Council Information
Service Contract Description Operation Annual Cost What it covers
No of Days
DAR 1 Wooler, Whittingham Market day
PC0010 and Lesbury pilot Alnwick Tues £3,900.00 service - one
DAR's return trip
Market day
691 Upper Coquetdale & Morpeth Mon £2,544.00 service - one
return trip
Market day
694 Redesmouth to Hexham Tue + Fri £13,528.00 service - one
return trip
Market day
695 Blanchland to Hexham Tues £3,655.60 service - one
return trip
Market day
696 Carrshield to Hexham Wed £3,725.90 service - one
return trip
Whittonstall, New Ridley Market day
613 and hexham Tues £4,680.00 service - one
return trip
680 Hexham to Bellingham Mon - Sat £81,514.30 full timetable
seasonal
AD122 Hexham to Haltwhistle Mon-Sun & £25,080.00 tourist
B/Hols service full
timetable
Byrness and Otterburn to Market day
885 bellingham Tues £10,400.00 service - one
return trip
Carrshield - Hexham Market day
889 Tuesdays Tues £6,923.80 service - one
return trip
Market day
406 Longframlington and Alnwick Wed £2,100.00 service - one
return trip
131 Jedburgh - Newcastle via Mon - Sat £23,156.83 full timetable
Otterburn
267 Wooler and Berwick via Mon - Sat £94,769.60 full timetable
Milfield
464 Wooler and Berwick via Mon - Sat £76,018.20 full timetable
Lowick
470 Wooler and Alnwick via Mon - Sat £68,625.00 full timetable
Chatton
473 Wooler and Alnwick via Mon - Sat £82,350.00 full timetable
Powburn
Wed Sch & seasonal
477 Berwick - Holy Island Mon - Sat £22,653.18 tourist
(Non Sch) service full
timetable
710 Kelso - Newcastle via Sat £6,630.00 full timetable
Coldstream, Wooler
Market day
460 Eglingham - Alnwick Thur £3,432.00 service - one
return trip
Market day
266 Wooler & Kirknewton Wed £2,915.00 service - one
return trip
448 Guide Post and Bedlington Mon - Fri £18,145.00 school journey
Station (Sch) full timetable
X84 Ovington Newcastle (as now Mon - Sat £63,940.20 full timetable
to Hexham)
692 Newbiggin Nipper Tue + Fri £4,538.14 full timetable
689 Consett & Hexham Mon - Sat £28,233.85 full timetable
681 Slaggyford and Haltwhistle Mon - Sat £56,970.95 full timetable
434 Ashington & Blyth via Mon - Sat £39.81 Off peak
Cambois daytime
X14 Thropton and Morpeth Mon - Sat £52,961.01 full timetable
418 Alnwick & Belford via Coast Mon - Sat £71,065.00 full timetable
309 Blyth and Whitley Bay Mon - Fri £2,368.08 one early am
journey
East Hartford & Cramlington
58 to East Cramlington Mon - Fri £32,510.50 full timetable
Hosipital Holywell &
Hartley Square
Hoppa Berwick Town service Mon - Sat £29,650.00 full timetable
688 Hexham - Allenheads via Mon - Sat £64,580.70 full timetable
Allendale
74 Hexham - Newcastle Via Mon - Sat £53,778.22 full timetable
Stamfordham, Ponteland
808 Otterburn - Newcastle Mon - Sat £36,600.00 full timetable
185 Haltwhistle and Carlisle Mon - Sat £33,916.00 full timetable
now Birdoswald
683 Hexham Town Service Mon - Sat £55,726.55 full timetable
684/686 Hexham and Prudhoe via Mon - Sat £61,695.40 full timetable
Ovingham
15 Thropton and Alnwick Mon - Sat £30,600.00 full timetable
16 Rothbury and Coquetdale Tue + Thur £6,432.00 full timetable
Circular
57A Holywell to Cramlington Mon - Sun £5,585.93 full timetable
In
19 Ashington and North Shields Mon - Sat £28,892.94 Northumberland
- full
timetable
market day
882 Barrasford to Hexham Sat £3,640.00 service - one
return trip
West and East market day
815 Woodburn,Otterburn,Byrness Fri £1,560.00 service - one
and Rochester into return trip
Bellingham
T01 Alnwick and Amble - Mon - Sat £6,100.00 Amble links
Deminimis extension
Alnwick and Berwick via
X15 warenford - Deminimus Mon - Sat £66,431.64 full timetable
Payment
X18 Alnwick and Berwick via Mon - Sat £66,313.80 full timetable
coast - Deminimis Payment
Alnwick to Amble Winter Winter Winter Sundays
X18 Sundays - Deminimus Payment Sundays £5,062.40 extension to
Alnwick
773 -764 X Border contribution - Annual £8,076.70 Contribution
Townfield - consett Charge to Durham CC
Contribution
67, 67P Berwick to Galashiels Monthly £45,999.96 to Scottish
charTge Borders
Council
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