Free travel for older people

[ecb]

It looks like the Northern Ireland government are looking in to raising the age for for free travel from 60 to 66. I wonder if this will catch on and spread to Scotland where age is currently 60 years. In England I think people have to be of state retirement age (currently 66 years) to get free travel.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65768101

[ecb]

There is a petition on the UK Government petitions website about older people's bus passes;

"Negotiate UK-wide recognition of older person's bus passes

We believe the UK Government should negotiate reciprocal agreements with the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to allow the recognition and use of older person's bus passes across the whole of the UK. "

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/652985

The deadline for signing is 21st June 2024.

[Alrock]

All buses should be free for everybody.

[ecb]

All buses should be free for everybody.

That would cost a lot of money at a time when public finances are strained.

[Alrock]

That would cost a lot of money at a time when public finances are strained.
Yes it would, that's why it will never happen, god forbid having to tax people for the greater good.
Mind you, would have been a lot easier if the buses had never been privatised.

& BTW, I'm saying this as a car owner & driver so would not benefit me in the slightest, it would just be the right thing to do.

[ecb]

Seen on the BBC Northern Ireland news website: "'About £20' to apply for over-60s travel passesApplication fees are to be introduced for people aged over 60 when they apply for a Translink Smartpass for the first time, a Stormont minister has said. Over-60s are entitled to travel on public buses and trains for free in Northern Ireland, regardless of their income, and this system will continue.But Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd has announced that a "nominal fee" will soon be charged to passengers making a first-time application for a Smartpass. The one-off fee is expected to be about £20 for people aged 60-64. A reduced application fee of about £12 will be charged to older passengers aged 65 and over as they qualify for a "Senior Smartpass, external, the Department for Infrastructure said. ... " In the comments section someone posted: "Once the principle of payment for regestering has been established the sky is the limit. This year £20 next year £25 and so on". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxeegly3jdpoThat again it is for Northern Ireland but I suppose the idea could spread to Scotland and perhaps as the person suggested, the registration fee could rise, perhaps significantly.