Comment posted Time for a serious rethink on concessionary travel by Lorna Ahlquist.
There are other considerations. The Gov puts a lot of money into public health initiatives and preventative measures to keep seniors engaged, fit and active. This can be viewed as one of the more cost effective of those kinds of measures. Mental health and wellbeing is greatly enhanced by planning to go out, getting out and about etc
The other aspect is the increased footfall in tourist destinations in rural Scotland that you get from more people travelling – not to be sniffed out for fragile rural economies. I know of many seniors who travel because of this who would not be and supplying that extra little bit of income in the place they go to, multiple it a few times and it can make the unsustainable sustainable.
I could go on,,,,,,,,,,,
Recent comments by Lorna Ahlquist
- Research reveals shock insights into reality of Dunoon ferry service provision
I have tired not to engage with for argyll on the last post that attacked Mike Russell. It was so full of errors it wa unbelievable. While stating it was giving factual information it certainly was not, and showed a complete inability to look at evidence and move beyond opinion.I just have to come in here a and say that that is one of the worst uses of statistics Masquerading as facts that I have come across recently. If there is so much overcapacity then why do cars have to queue regularily and wait for the following boat at Western? Crude use of statistics tells us nothing.
I despair. I will say now before anyone thinks it is smart to do so, I am Neil Kay’s wife and have known Mike Russell for years. Both men can testify that I do not slavishly follow anyone’s opinions, am quite capable of disagreeing with both of them, simultaneoulsy! AndI am not folowing any family or friendship lines here. I wish For Argyll would be more factual and less biased.
- Time for Dunoon to take stock of its ferry services?
Dreadfully biased, not paying any attention to the evidence or unable to understand it, and a slap in the face to Argyll and Cowal, as the ferry service is important beyond the boundaries of Dunoon itself to the wider economy and indeed it’s importance to Inverclyde is recognised by its Local authority.Sad to see the Government trotting out the discredited EU card – and note that it does not actually say that a vehicle service can’t be run – no legal impediment to that. The tender was set up to fail hence no bidders to provide a vehicle service. The Scotttish Ferry Review public meetings throughout Argyll were panned by communities and their questionniare was biased and poor, so I would not use that as evidence. Oh dear!!
- Curiosities in 6.5% Argyll ferry fares rise by 2012
Western got 400,000 towards its linkspan at Hunters Quay from the public purse I believe. I think it also has a 25% profit margin which must be a contender for the Guinness Book of records, so indeed it is not comparing like with like. It is also possibly the most expensive ferry crossing in the world, difficult to evaluate but it is a top contender and again worthy of that Guinness entry. I am not anti Western – I have used it a lot late at night, but I don’t feel they are hard done to! - Dunoon ferry meeting revealed more than it knew
they are allowed. - Dunoon ferry meeting revealed more than it knew
For Argyll, I do not spin, anyone who knows me knows I have intregrity. Anyway, that is not what is most important and I am happy to leave it. I am just rather concerned that that is what is getting press and it is unhelpful to those who had the exchange for it to be a focus of attention.There are several reasons why there were no tenders for a vehicle service – again I refer to www.brochur.com. They are easily understandable. No suitable boats existed, no sane commercial operator will put out that financial outlay for a contract of 6 years etc etc. So I am afraid your evidence does not stack up. You repeat as much as anyone else and on shakier ground. What you are saying is very damaging and divisive to the work we hope the Ferry Users Group will be able to do. That is a very great responsibility, I urge you to be more thoughtful .
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http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-politics/4668-snp-condemn-labours-scaremongering-over-concessionary-bus-travel
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I disagree.. the money paid out on this concession saves the NHS a fortune. By encouraging the elderly to get out and about keeping them mobile means less imput from Doctors and other medical staff.
With day care service costs spiriling better to have people out and about as often as poosible this also encourages mental stimulation. The benefits far outway the costs. Tampering with this concession would be at any politicians cost ,just as we will not forget this latest budget.
I know for a fact that some bus companies are ripping the government off. Always check your ticket and look at the destination!!!!..If not correct send it to the SG Transport office….many have.
Many buses would run half empty without us, better get something than nothing.
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And what about the ‘seniors’ who need to travel daily to work or visit a relative/friend in hospital? I suppose that falls into the ‘obscenely exploitative’ category too.
There are far greater obscene and exploitative ways in which subsidies are used, especially by the wealthy (which includes ‘seniors’). FiTS for renewables for example.
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There are surely two extremes – for example people in rural areas for whom the free bus is a lifeline to the nearest community, and at the opposite extreme people in Glasgow who are tempted to occupy their days swanning around the country at very considerable cost to this scheme.
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Many chronically sick and disabled people who depended on transport from the NHS and Local Authority were told that the concessionary fares system was sufficient to their transport needs. both agencies reduced their transport fleets accordingly.It was negation on their part.
Yes there needs to be a concessionary re-think by the NHS and the 11 or 12 councils that operate the scheme in Strathclyde Region.
They must reinstate the fleets that was in place for therapeutically social and recreational activities.
The result of taxing personal incomes for free universal transport could be the last straw for the uncaring Westminster playboys and playgirls
I do understand the anger if free universal transport for pensioners and the chronically sick ends up being another tax hike by central government. We should have a voice in order to influence the decision makers of the SPTG
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There is a good point here – which is that specifc needs related travel might best be delivered by the services to which folk need access – like the NHS.
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I found the whole article quite baffling.
Some questions . . .
a) Who decides what is sufficient travel and what is excessive? Surely the need to travel is intimately linked to personal circumstances.
b) Who exactly are these ‘endlessly travelling seniors’ using their bus passes in an ‘obscenely exploitative’ manner, and how many of them are there in relation to the total number of bus passes issued?
c) How exactly is this issue related to the alleged stifling of enterprise in Scotland?
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The government is entiteld to decide what is sufficient travel TO SUBSIDISE.
Re (C) – bit of a Doh moment here.
The more Scotland chooses to spend on the periphery of a dependancy culture, the less it will have the capacity to foster the enterprise that alone can lift the country into growth; and the less it will have the ability to maintain and develop the infrastructural efficiency that underpins a confident and confidence inducing economy.
At the moment the Scottish Government is taking every soft option so as to limit any negatives in play when we get to the independence referendum. This is irresponsible and will exact a price whichever way that vote goes.
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Reading the Newsroom article, anyone might think that special buses are laid on for the seniors to ‘obscenely exploit’. Like all bus travellers, they are using scheduled services that have fixed costs.
We should be celebrating the fact that our seniors remain active in society, not downgrade them to indulgent sterotypes.
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Another slow news day for ForArgyll. Without hard facts this Article’s a rant.
Haven’t ForArgyll run recent favourable articles on West Coast Motors. So did they check their facts with them then?
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Not sure how the free travel scheme works, but I presume the bus companies get a fixed amount from the government each time someone uses the service.
In which case, isn’t the scheme helping to subsidise rural transport and keep services viable, as well as providing older people with free transport?
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Not when it’s paid for below cost.
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I could suggest one economy – stop issuing bus passes and ferry cards to second home owners. If you can afford 2 houses when others have none you can afford to pay the full wack. Don’t be mislead into thinking the wealthy do not make full use of them either when it suits them.
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For the last eight years I have used my bus pass EXCLUSIVELY for the 25 mile return journey from Barcaldine to Oban and back by scheduled bus service whenever possible. Translate that total distance into CARBON FOOTPRINT via a Transit van. Surely NOT to provide free transport at the point of use is the ‘obscenity’. Actually, if you are serious about global warming etc then ALL public transport should be free to users. Grr
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An interesting and valid point. This would mean a state service, though – which has value but is not what we have at the moment.
We do not think that it is defensible for the government to require private sector operators to carry concessionary travellers at a loss.
State services of any kind – like the NHS and like education – are a different matter and a different argument.
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Why shouldn’t bus operators make a social contribution? Surely we are ‘all in this together’. And let us not forget that Transport Scotland provides an annual subsidy of £66.5 million to the bus industry, the aim of which is to keep fares at affordable levels and enable bus operators to run services that might not otherwise be commercially viable.
And let’s face it, how much does it actually cost the bus company in reality to have an extra bum on that empty seat? If that seat would otherwise be empty then it is surely better to fill it at a lower fare – something the airlines have understood for many years.
In fact, prior to the introduction of electronic ticketing machines bus companies have been doing very well out of this, being able to present estimates of numbers and fares to the government for remuneration. According to Scottish Executive’s review of the scheme there were £700,000 of inaccurate claims last year and two firms were charged with fraud.
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There are other considerations. The Gov puts a lot of money into public health initiatives and preventative measures to keep seniors engaged, fit and active. This can be viewed as one of the more cost effective of those kinds of measures. Mental health and wellbeing is greatly enhanced by planning to go out, getting out and about etc
The other aspect is the increased footfall in tourist destinations in rural Scotland that you get from more people travelling – not to be sniffed out for fragile rural economies. I know of many seniors who travel because of this who would not be and supplying that extra little bit of income in the place they go to, multiple it a few times and it can make the unsustainable sustainable.
I could go on,,,,,,,,,,,
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Well said Lorna.
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I also do not agree with the view of Forargyll.com and it is obvious that the editor is not nearly 60 years of age. The bus companies currently get 67% of a single full fare. Surely it is better that there are 10 concession card holders on a bus than 1 person paying a single full fare of £2. The bus company would recive £13.40 instead of £2.
Recently on a visit to Dundee I travelled on the Travel Dundee local city bus service. The dearest single fare is £2.10 which is the fare I paid. If I was old enough to have a bus pass Travel Dundee would receive £1.41 (to the nearest penny) from the Scottish Government.
I also noticed an advert on the bus advertising a 10 journey ticket at £14.40 which equates to £1.44 per journey.
If the bus companies are struggling financially they should all stop selling cheap tickets and charge everyone the full fare.
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I’m the only one who thinks that the current scheme is just far too complicated and thus open to abuse? The additional cost involved in actually conveying a passenger will be minuscule compared with the fixed cost of the bus (capital and maintenance) and the driver’s salary. Why does the Government not just negotiate a flat rate with the various bus companies, annually adjusted for inflation, that allows all card carrying seniors to travel free?
Just the initial negotiation, then a monthly doling out of the subsidy. It will save lots of civil servants’ time, administrative overheads at the bus companies and, not to mention, faster passenger boarding times.
Or is this all just too simple?
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