Free Bus Travel for Older Residents
August 24, 2005 9:00 PM
Cllr Inga Lockington has excellent news for more than 25,000 Ipswich residents - which shows that we mean business when it comes to offering real transport choices. "I am also pleased to say that these bus passes will be available free of charge to all eligible residents".
Free travel for our pensioners has long been part of the Lib Dem manifesto, so it was good to see Gordon Brown introduce this prior to the May 2005 General Election, even if some felt that it was because he was running scared of the Liberal Democrat challenge. Unfortunately, in his haste, the proposed funding mechanism would mean that urban areas do not recover the cost of offering free transport, so many authorities - Ipswich included - are having to lobby to have the formula changed.
Inga, the Portfolio Holder for Transport and the Environment at the Borough Council, commented "Government funding was not even sufficient for off-peak passes to be provided. I am pleased that we are the first Council in Suffolk to introduce free passes and that we have extended the provision to all times."
Lib Dem Cllr Inga Lockington introduces free bus passes for the elderly
"Free Public Transport is a core Liberal Democrat policy".
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats