Elderly and disabled people in the West Midlands are to get free travel on public transport from this summer.
Councillors on the region’s Passenger Transport Authority today set a target date of 24 July for the introduction of the improved concession scheme. It will be more generous and nine months earlier than the ‘free bus pass’ announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown in his recent Budget.
“It has been PTA policy in the past to make concessions widely available and we want to get more people, of all ages, using public transport. That is the greatest hope we have in the region’s campaign to cut congestion,” said Authority chairman Cllr Gary Clarke.
At the time of the Budget, Cllr Clarke and PTA vice-chair Cllr Paul Allen had already pledged that any free travel scheme in the West Midlands should apply to all modes of transport.
“The Chancellor may have used the phrase ‘bus pass’ – but we believe strongly in an integrated public transport system, so it is vital that passes are equally valid on rail and Metro services,” he said.
Centro, the public transport promoter which implements PTA policy, will now start consultation with travel operators and the other formal procedures to put the improved concessions scheme in place as soon as possible.
It already offers one of the most generous schemes in the country, with free off-peak travel passes for over 65s and half-fare passes for those aged 60 to 64. Qualifying disabled and blind people also get half fare travel.
This will now be extended so that everyone over the age of 60 and disabled people can get free travel on buses, trains and trams in the West Midlands.
At the moment the scheme is paid for by city and borough councils, but the Budget allocated Government money to provide free off-peak local bus travel nationwide from next April. Making the free travel passes available earlier is expected to cost the West Midlands around £3m, which the PTA hopes to recover from next year’s payments.
Councillors also voted to start negotiations with neighbouring authorities, so the benefit could allow people to travel to towns just outside the metropolitan area.
