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Bus pass shortfall of £9m
GOVERNMENT plans for free bus travel for elderly people has created "an April fool's paradise" which could leave Essex councils with a £9m shortfall.
From Tuesday, people aged 60 or over will qualify for free nationwide travel on local buses, but there are fears the cost to local authorities may lead to cuts elsewhere.
Council leaders from across Essex met with transport minister Rosie Winterton to discuss their "grave concerns" about the policy and demand a fairer deal for taxpayers.
County council leader Lord Hanningfield said they supported the principle, but felt a lack of Government funding for the scheme would place other council services "under intense pressure".
Lord Hanningfield said: "Government officials adm-itted to a recent delegation of Essex authorities the funding formula wasn't ideal.
"This can't be introduced in a way which will leave authorities having to make decisions over cutting public services such as parks, leisure-centres and even other public transport initiatives.
"An April fool's paradise has been created by the Government, promising a great new age of free travel without being absolutely sure they will be able to pay for it without putting a significant extra burden on the taxpayer."
Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft said the situation was extremely worrying and the council was backing Essex County Council's representations.
He added: "We hope the minister will take notice of the comments which were made by Lord Hanningfield and others at the meeting."
6:37am Thursday 27th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: evilc, essex on 6:57am Thu 27 Mar 08
Take it out of the Prison Budget i.e the allowance for buying televisions for cells!
Take it out of the Prison Budget i.e the allowance for buying televisions for cells!
Posted by: Amanda, Westcliff on 9:23am Thu 27 Mar 08
Perhaps if bus drivers stopped hitting the pass button 4 times for every one pass the local companies would be giving an accurate account of passenger numbers.
Perhaps if bus drivers stopped hitting the pass button 4 times for every one pass the local companies would be giving an accurate account of passenger numbers.
Posted by: Dan, North Leigh on 9:56am Thu 27 Mar 08
I've always said this was going to end up as a colossal waste of money. Yes it's a nice idea but with the ever growing numbers of elderly it just isn't economically sustainable!
I've always said this was going to end up as a colossal waste of money. Yes it's a nice idea but with the ever growing numbers of elderly it just isn't economically sustainable!
Posted by: Nigel on 10:32am Thu 27 Mar 08
Typical Labour. Come up with an apparently good wheeze, until it becomes clear that there is no funding and the poor old council tax payer gets stung again.
Still, courage, comrades. Labour is almost gone and in 2 years at the outside, and may be much sooner, we shall be shot of them for ever.
Typical Labour. Come up with an apparently good wheeze, until it becomes clear that there is no funding and the poor old council tax payer gets stung again.
Still, courage, comrades. Labour is almost gone and in 2 years at the outside, and may be much sooner, we shall be shot of them for ever.
Posted by: Tony H, Southend on 11:53am Thu 27 Mar 08
The Tories in Southend Council and Essex CC are trying to score political points against a popular Labour policy, when in fact they can't. The shortfall they complain of is an assumptuion based on their estimate of hoe many people will take up the scheme compared to the Government's estimate. As this is the first year of the scheme, nobody really knows just how many people will take up the scheme. That's what annual reviews are for.
The Tories' pre-emptive moaning about the scheme's costs should not allow them to escape their poor reputation on local transport, particularly in Southend - one of the few places in the entire country where local bus routes are not subsidised and you can see the result.
The Tories in Southend Council and Essex CC are trying to score political points against a popular Labour policy, when in fact they can't. The shortfall they complain of is an assumptuion based on their estimate of hoe many people will take up the scheme compared to the Government's estimate. As this is the first year of the scheme, nobody really knows just how many people will take up the scheme. That's what annual reviews are for.
The Tories' pre-emptive moaning about the scheme's costs should not allow them to escape their poor reputation on local transport, particularly in Southend - one of the few places in the entire country where local bus routes are not subsidised and you can see the result.
Posted by: Kim Gandy, Rayleigh on 4:41pm Thu 27 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Dan[/bold] wrote:
I've always said this was going to end up as a colossal waste of money. Yes it's a nice idea but with the ever growing numbers of elderly it just isn't economically sustainable![/quote] Oh well, let's just shoot them all then shall we? An ever-growing number of people who saved this country from tyranny but no, **** them all. How dare they be elderly and a drain on our resources?
Funny how money can ALWAYS be found to fund the EVER GROWING Olympics bill, the EVER GROWING illegal immigrant population, EVER GROWING number of Muslim extremist hate mongers who need benefits for their multiple wives and large homes for their massive families - and myriads of other totally irrelevant and outrageous money pits.
Dan wrote:
I've always said this was going to end up as a colossal waste of money. Yes it's a nice idea but with the ever growing numbers of elderly it just isn't economically sustainable!
Oh well, let's just shoot them all then shall we? An ever-growing number of people who saved this country from tyranny but no, **** them all. How dare they be elderly and a drain on our resources?
Funny how money can ALWAYS be found to fund the EVER GROWING Olympics bill, the EVER GROWING illegal immigrant population, EVER GROWING number of Muslim extremist hate mongers who need benefits for their multiple wives and large homes for their massive families - and myriads of other totally irrelevant and outrageous money pits.
Posted by: Geoff Stringer, Prittlewell on 4:51pm Thu 27 Mar 08
According to statistics, Southend is number three from the bottom, countrywide, for the worst mismanagement of their budget. Now they are complaining about OAP, bus passes, and how they cannot afford them. How about stop giving money away to the spongers from other countries, that should not be here. Council lunches, and dinners, and the like that are not necessary, and all the other "jollies", that our council people enjoy. Why is it that the pensioners are the ones to suffer, every time????
According to statistics, Southend is number three from the bottom, countrywide, for the worst mismanagement of their budget. Now they are complaining about OAP, bus passes, and how they cannot afford them. How about stop giving money away to the spongers from other countries, that should not be here. Council lunches, and dinners, and the like that are not necessary, and all the other "jollies", that our council people enjoy. Why is it that the pensioners are the ones to suffer, every time????
Posted by: devil's Advocate, boozledon on 5:16pm Thu 27 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Nigel[/bold] wrote:
Typical Labour. Come up with an apparently good wheeze, until it becomes clear that there is no funding and the poor old council tax payer gets stung again.
Still, courage, comrades. Labour is almost gone and in 2 years at the outside, and may be much sooner, we shall be shot of them for ever.[/quote] Er... Were you not around when the Tories were last in charge?
Oh boy, have you got some surprises coming your way!
On a more sensible note, as you may read elsewhere on these Echo pages, the pensioners are responsible for all the traffic hold ups with their slow driving and lack of understanding of things like ABS brakes so surely, will it not be a blessing to get them from behind the wheel and onto buses?
Nigel wrote:
Typical Labour. Come up with an apparently good wheeze, until it becomes clear that there is no funding and the poor old council tax payer gets stung again.
Still, courage, comrades. Labour is almost gone and in 2 years at the outside, and may be much sooner, we shall be shot of them for ever.
Er... Were you not around when the Tories were last in charge?
Oh boy, have you got some surprises coming your way!
On a more sensible note, as you may read elsewhere on these Echo pages, the pensioners are responsible for all the traffic hold ups with their slow driving and lack of understanding of things like ABS brakes so surely, will it not be a blessing to get them from behind the wheel and onto buses?
Posted by: Peter Murphy, Hockley on 6:20am Fri 28 Mar 08
We woulld be able to assess the situation better if we knew how much the Councils pays for eacc "free" journey by a Senior Citizen
We woulld be able to assess the situation better if we knew how much the Councils pays for eacc "free" journey by a Senior Citizen
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