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MP complains of concession

4th April 1975, Page 27
4th April 1975
Page 27
Page 27, 4th April 1975 — MP complains of concession
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

fares 'chaos'

THE present situation of concessionary fare schemes for retirement pensioners was one of absolute chaos, an MP told the Commons. The concession depended on where a pensioner Jived, pointed out Mr Gwilym Roberts (Labour, Cannock) and also on the bus route as a pensioner moved from one area to another.

In some areas pensioners got entirely free travel and in others, nothing at all.

Mr Roberts' solution. . a uniform nationally financed scheme, applicable both to buses and rail But his suggestion was turned down by Mr Neil Carmichael, UnderSecretary DoE. Present expenditure amounted to about 05 million, and it would not be practicable in the present state of our economy to introduce a national scheme which would cost much more.

Mr John Tomlinson (Labour, Meriden) said there was something basically absurd about priorities when we could find resources for mile after mile of motorway which communities did not want and for supersonic air transport, but not for decent, basic rural transport for those who could not afford cars, especially when we did not want them to run cars in view of the energy crisis.

There were always ways of getting better services by pouring more and more money into them, replied Mr Carmichael. The problem was deciding on the best value to be obtained from any expenditure. That was what the Government intended to do.

Mr D. Wigley (Plaid Cymru, Caernarvon) noted that pensioners found it difficult to understand why, when they went to urban areas like Merseyside, they could have free travel at certain hours, whereas companies in the same National Bus Companies in rural areas could not only offer no free transport, but were closing down services.

This was a question for local authorities, pointed out Mr Carmichael. The National Bus Company did not pay for concessionary fares — it was the local authority which had this power.

It had to be realized that bus operators were working on a very slim margin all over the country, so that any concessions in one part of their services had to be made up by the local authority or by other travellers.


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