Freedom Passes

South London Press

Next stop, Parliament

Feb 18 2003
By Mike Pflanz

PENSIONERS say they will still march on Parliament to defend their free travel despite Government assurances there are no plans to scrap the scheme.

In response to the South London Press campaign to Keep Travel Free For OAPs, Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling said on Friday the Government had 'no intention' of changing the system.

But Freedom Pass holders such as Barbara Glosby, 64, say they will still descend on Parliament, demanding 'outright rejection' of a report which proposes cutting free travel back to half-price.

The South London Press has been inundated with letters and phone calls backing our push for the Government to reject the Commission for Integrated Transport's recommendation.

Mrs Glosby, of Black Prince Road, Kennington, says she relies on her pass and will still march to Westminster on March 20.

She uses her pass every day to travel throughout south London.

As she waited for the 159 to take her to Brixton Library early on Friday, she said: "It's not good enough just to say they have no intentions at the moment, we want more.

"I rely on that pass because I have to get out of the house every day or I'd go doolally cooped up with nothing but the television.

"After all my bills, I sometimes have only £10 a week to live on, so I need the pass to be free."

Replying to pensioners' concerns and the South London Press campaign, Alistair Darling said: "We have no intention of changing the statutory minimum requirement [to provide half-price bus travel] or to stop local authorities from running more generous schemes."

But Lambeth Pensioners' Action Group member Dot Gibson said: "This is the same old line they've given us before and it is not enough.

"They say they have 'no intentions', but pensioners no longer trust this Government after so many U-turns and changes of heart.

"We want them to put in writing a rejection of the recommendations in the Commission for Integrated Transport report.

"Then we will stop our campaign."

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