Freedom Pass fears: reassurance for Hackney residents

freedom pass 001Following concerns that funding for the Freedom Pass may have been in jeopardy, Age Concern Hackney has been asking people to sign a petition to the Government to safeguard the Pass. However, the government has said that any changes will not in any way affect older or disabled bus users who use the scheme.

The Freedom Pass is provided by all local borough councils, including Hackney, to give older and disabled Londoners free travel on almost all public transport in London.

A spokesperson from the Department of Transport said, “The only increase in costs London faced as result of the improved England-wide concession was for the cost of non-London residents now travelling free on the London bus network – which is what we have always committed to fund.

“The changes we are proposing build on the success of the national bus concession and will not in any way affect older or disabled bus users who use the scheme.”

Last year, the Council agreed a motion resolving to oppose plans by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to increase bus fares. Read more about this here.

Following Cllr Alan Laing’s comment (below), this story was updated on Thursday 28 January.

1 Comment

  1. Cllr Alan Laing on Wednesday 27 January 2010 at 18:43

    Dear Hackney Citizen,

    Off the back of this article, I wanted to correct some of the points made and to reassure your readers.

    Age Concern Hackney and others are misguided if they believe that the Freedom Pass is under any threat: it is not.

    The issue of funding is about the additional money the government was granting to help pay for the national bus concessionary scheme that allows people from outside London to travel for free on London buses. It has nothing to do with the Freedom Pass.

    London has been receiving more money than it needs to pay for the additional people travelling on our buses. As a result of the review, London will still receive more money than it will cost.

    So for 2010/11, the estimate is that it will cost £18 million to run this scheme; the government is giving London £30 million. There is completely separate to the Freedom Pass and isn’t about Londoners travelling on London’s buses.

    Secondly, the petition is NOT in the name of London Councils. In fact the Chief Executive of London Councils is in discussions with Number 10 to remove all references of London Councils from the petition.

    It is actually authored by the political assistant to the Conservative Group on London Councils – a matter that is also being taken up by his superiors.

    I’m afraid that this is a scare campaign by the Conservatives with no grounding in fact. The Freedom Pass is safe and our council will always fight for keeping this important benefit for London’s older and disabled residents.



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