Victory on Bus Passes

Pensioners in Mole Valley villages are celebrating after a last-minute alteration to a new free bus pass scheme.

A project sponsored by the Government to allow free bus travel across the country for the over-60s is to be launched on April 1, but as the Advertiser reported, Mole Valley villagers were quick to point out that a 9.30am start and sporadic bus service meant they could be trapped at home until the second bus of the day arrives hours later, or else be forced to pay the full £3.15 fare.

However, Mole Valley District Council has managed to hammer out a last-minute deal whereby it will pay for the concessionary scheme to start at 9am. Kay Matthews, chairman of the over-50s club in Box Hill, said she was delighted by the news. "I think it's really good. The members will be very pleased because if we lost that bus service there is no way you get out of this village."

Councillor Tim Hall (Con, Fetcham West) said the council was forced to battle long and hard to secure permission to fund the bus service from 9am. He said: "Transport for London is going to fund the 465 bus that runs through Dorking and Leatherhead to Kingston and we offered to fund the other services in the district."

The council estimates it will cost between £5,000 and £17,000 to maintain a 9am start to the service. The new bus pass allows the over-60s and those who are registered disabled to travel for free on any service throughout the country. It will replace the current over-60s bus pass which starts at 9am, but only allows travel within Surrey.

Councillor Hall added that support for the new passes in the district had been immense, with more than 9,000 people signing up for a new pass that will allow the over-60s to travel for free on buses throughout England.

He said: "At this stage we are getting about 300 applications per week. All the passes will be sent out in time for the April 1 changeover."

Daphne Ladell, (Con, Box Hill and Headley) had been campaigning to keep the service running from 9am and welcomed the council's move.

She said: "I am really pleased that we have managed to get the time for the concessionary fares put back. Many of my residents are elderly and they need the earlier bus times so that they can get to hospital appointments. It's a victory for common sense."

Although half-an-hour may not sound much, it means pensioners who live in the villages and rely on bus services face potential difficulties attending medical appointments, and it would make it almost impossible for them to enjoy days out farther afield, as by the time they got to Dorking or Leatherhead, it would be too late to catch a connecting bus or train.

A new "joined up" bus pass may sound good on paper, but is pointless if residents do not benefit.

The decision to keep the status quo for free bus passes is a victory for people power as well as common sense.A fortnight ago, Surrey County Council praised a new nationwide scheme it was to introduce, which would guarantee over-60s a free bus pass to enable them to travel across England at no charge.

What sounded good in principle failed to meet pensioners' needs.

Many have been reliant on the 9am bus to Guildford, but the new bus passes did not apply until after 9.30am.

But Mole Valley District Council has stepped in to ensure the free bus pass will apply from 9am in the district, helping numerous pensioners. However, the county council should have considered their needs before jumping into the scheme.