UK Government urged to give unpaid carers free travel on public transport
Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed has urged the UK Government to consider giving unpaid carers access to free travel on public transport to help ‘improve access to essential services and promote inclusivity for disabled people and those with chronic illnesses’. The Sheffield Central MP also asked the Department for Transport if it would “make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing carers to accompany those they care for to travel free of charge on public transport”.
In a written response to both questions on Monday, Transport Minister Simon Lightwood explained how the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) “provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of State Pension age (66)”.
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Mr Lightwood continued: “The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the eligibility criteria, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.
“An assessment has not been made of the potential impact of free travel for carers, however, local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as offering companion passes for those travelling with someone eligible for the ENCTS.”
The National Entitlement Card (NEC) in Scotland provides access to many public services across the border and gives people over 60, and those of all ages with a disability, free bus travel across the country. Through the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme, it also provides reduced fares on train, Subway and ferry journeys.
However, south of the border, eligibility and usage rules for the ENCTS are different and two MPs recently asked the UK Government to consider making changes to the policy.
Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster urged the Department for Transport to make an assessment of the “potential merits of extending the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to peak travel times”. Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion Siân Berry, asked if the Department plans to “carry out a review of the eligibility criteria for bus passes for disabled people”.
Mr Lightwood's response to both MPs was similar to the one given to Abtisam Mohamed - you can read more about this here.
Online petition
A new online petition is calling for the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to be expanded and follow the Scottish Government’s lead by providing free bus travel to everyone over the age of 60.
Petition creator Karen Hickman argues that the current scheme is “unjust” and calls for “equality for everyone over 60”. The campaigner explained that people in England, living outside London, are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach State Pension age - 66 for both men and women - which she believes has “changed dramatically.”
More than 7,500 people have signed the ‘extend free bus travel for people over 60 in England’ e-petition, which has been posted on the petitions-parliament website. At 10,000 signatures, it is entitled to a written response from the UK Government and at 100,000 it would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament.
The petition states: “We call on the Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London. We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60.
“Currently, people in England who do not live in London are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach the state pension age, which we believe has changed dramatically. As people get older some over 60s drive less and less, therefore we believe we need equality on public transport.
“It would mean England had the same provision as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
You can view it online here.
