Joe Totale Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 The disability restrictions need to be addressed here. I know a small not for profits organisation that runs on a very limited budget. They print at low cost to help other disabled/special needs groups and other small local community projects. They can only afford to exist with the assistance of help from volunteers and staff who themselves are disabled. The new travel restriction will make it difficult for any of them to arrive until after 10am. I previously worked for over 10 years at a Community Project that supplied training - English, Maths, Computer Studies and Arts & Craft to unemployed disabled trainees - they had to arrive before 9am, the project meant they had somewhere to go, something to achieve, someone to talk to, friends to meet; otherwise stuck at home watching TV. A disabled mother who struggles to take her child to school in a morning, at the moment when in too much pain she can return home by bus - in a few weeks time she will stand in pain at the bus stop for 45 minutes. Not one of these people/organisations that I know, were asked or consulted on these changes. They really do make a big difference to those who need the service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verydull Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 i find it highly insulting that you dont consider me a proper disabled person because i have a life that exists before 930am... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 The disability restrictions need to be addressed here. I know a small not for profits organisation that runs on a very limited budget. They print at low cost to help other disabled/special needs groups and other small local community projects. They can only afford to exist with the assistance of help from volunteers and staff who themselves are disabled. The new travel restriction will make it difficult for any of them to arrive until after 10am. I previously worked for over 10 years at a Community Project that supplied training - English, Maths, Computer Studies and Arts & Craft to unemployed disabled trainees - they had to arrive before 9am, the project meant they had somewhere to go, something to achieve, someone to talk to, friends to meet; otherwise stuck at home watching TV. A disabled mother who struggles to take her child to school in a morning, at the moment when in too much pain she can return home by bus - in a few weeks time she will stand in pain at the bus stop for 45 minutes. Not one of these people/organisations that I know, were asked or consulted on these changes. They really do make a big difference to those who need the service. I think it would be useful if such organisations were tipped off in advance, however I think any 'consultation' would have been a waste of everyone's time. This is something that will be very unpopular and as many have said, is impacting most on the disabled pass holders. Many people tend to make decisions on what they are going to do in life - work, study, where to live etc depending on the availability and cost of transport. So to change that significantly at fairly short notice is going to hurt. However, in terms of the decision being made, the tax payers money being saved HAD to be saved - it doesn't exist anymore so cannot be spent. Perhaps a sign of the Con/Dems austerity Britain. The choice to save such amounts of money was: - axe all tendered bus services this would leave rural villages with NO public transport and many urban and suburban areas with no evening or Sunday buses. It would also see no dedicated school transport or hospital buses and a much reduced community transport provision - remove the optional extras from the concessionary travel scheme the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Senior Citizens and the Disabled, offered everywhere in England funded by the government, is free bus travel 09:30-23:00 Mon-Fri and anytime at weekend. Anything beyond this is funded by our local authority finding extra cash locally. This cut brings what South Yorkshire pass holders get into line with the rest of England including our neighbours in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Now Disabled people could have kept their passes valid all day every day - however this would have meant in some cases there would be no buses left running to use the pass on! Instead those travelling before 09:30 will have to pay a fare (but still get free travel returning later), however most that do travel at that time are going to a work that pays a salary and would only be in the same position of everyone else that commutes to work by public transport and pays a fare out of their salary! In terms of voluntary organisations that rely on their staff to travel on free tax payer funded passes, perhaps they need to adapt their hours of operation so staff don't need to come in until after 10am? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmack Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 i find it highly insulting that you dont consider me a proper disabled person because i have a life that exists before 930am... Surely you could afford to pay one bus fare on the way there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Totale Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 ......................................................................................................... In terms of voluntary organisations that rely on their staff to travel on free tax payer funded passes, perhaps they need to adapt their hours of operation so staff don't need to come in until after 10am? Yes, that's what we will do, though it will extend their hours till late afternoon when some have home visits by support staff - but that can be sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas J Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 In terms of voluntary organisations that rely on their staff to travel on free tax payer funded passes, perhaps they need to adapt their hours of operation so staff don't need to come in until after 10am? But it's OK for nice affluent volunteers (preferably not disabled) to drive in to work on free taxpayer-funded roads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 But it's OK for nice affluent volunteers (preferably not disabled) to drive in to work on free taxpayer-funded roads? Those that drive cars pay extra tax, they also have to pay for petrol, MOT and to maintain the car. They don't get to commute for free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I think it would be useful if such organisations were tipped off in advance, however I think any 'consultation' would have been a waste of everyone's time. This is something that will be very unpopular and as many have said, is impacting most on the disabled pass holders. Many people tend to make decisions on what they are going to do in life - work, study, where to live etc depending on the availability and cost of transport. So to change that significantly at fairly short notice is going to hurt. However, in terms of the decision being made, the tax payers money being saved HAD to be saved - it doesn't exist anymore so cannot be spent. Perhaps a sign of the Con/Dems austerity Britain. The choice to save such amounts of money was: - axe all tendered bus services this would leave rural villages with NO public transport and many urban and suburban areas with no evening or Sunday buses. It would also see no dedicated school transport or hospital buses and a much reduced community transport provision - remove the optional extras from the concessionary travel scheme the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Senior Citizens and the Disabled, offered everywhere in England funded by the government, is free bus travel 09:30-23:00 Mon-Fri and anytime at weekend. Anything beyond this is funded by our local authority finding extra cash locally. This cut brings what South Yorkshire pass holders get into line with the rest of England including our neighbours in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Now Disabled people could have kept their passes valid all day every day - however this would have meant in some cases there would be no buses left running to use the pass on! Instead those travelling before 09:30 will have to pay a fare (but still get free travel returning later), however most that do travel at that time are going to a work that pays a salary and would only be in the same position of everyone else that commutes to work by public transport and pays a fare out of their salary! In terms of voluntary organisations that rely on their staff to travel on free tax payer funded passes, perhaps they need to adapt their hours of operation so staff don't need to come in until after 10am? Andy, I totally do not agree that the option was to choose between "restriction" or "No buses". The councils have enough money to pay ridiculously inflated salaries to the executives. The Chief Exec of Sheffield council is on a wage higher than even the prime minister of Great Britain. There are others in Sheffield on a broadly similar pay-grade, and across South Yorkshire. If the councils have enough to pay these ridiculous amounts then I'm more than sure that they could have afforded to allow the already disadvantaged this little sop of the extra travel benefits. It would not have been as crippling to allow it as has been made out. I have said that I would have been willing to continue to pay a nominal amount, as we used to do, in order to keep the concessions. In West Yorkshire, I know that the holders of disabled concession passes get half-price travel on the train into South Yorkshire. I would have been happy to have had that as a benefit, rather than lose train travel altogether. Leeds is a popular destination for shopping trips from Sheffield and Barnsley, using the frequent trains. There is no bus service between Sheffield to Leeds, so travellers are reliant on the train. This leaves people like me, high and dry. The ITA could have put the half-fare concession on the train perhaps, as per West Yorkshire. Now the pass will start, locally, at 0930, it's going to be the devil's own job getting to hospital appointments, particularly for those living in the farther outlying areas of SY. I don't think there are many other pass-issuing authorities who cover such a large area as SY (outside London, at least, which is deregulated anyway) I really think it's ridiculous. ---------- Post added 09-02-2014 at 13:23 ---------- But it's OK for nice affluent volunteers (preferably not disabled) to drive in to work on free taxpayer-funded roads? Quite, Douglas. I am not permitted to hold a driving license because of my disabilities, so it's taxis or, if available, buses for me. ---------- Post added 09-02-2014 at 13:25 ---------- The disability restrictions need to be addressed here. I know a small not for profits organisation that runs on a very limited budget. They print at low cost to help other disabled/special needs groups and other small local community projects. They can only afford to exist with the assistance of help from volunteers and staff who themselves are disabled. The new travel restriction will make it difficult for any of them to arrive until after 10am. I previously worked for over 10 years at a Community Project that supplied training - English, Maths, Computer Studies and Arts & Craft to unemployed disabled trainees - they had to arrive before 9am, the project meant they had somewhere to go, something to achieve, someone to talk to, friends to meet; otherwise stuck at home watching TV. [bI]A disabled mother who struggles to take her child to school in a morning, at the moment when in too much pain she can return home by bus - in a few weeks time she will stand in pain at the bus stop for 45 minutes. Not one of these people/organisations that I know, were asked or consulted on these changes. They really do make a big difference to those who need the service.[/b] Yes, there are a lot of people disadvantaged by these changes, for very little recouping of expenditure by the issuing authorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verydull Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 it is not as simple as paying before 930am. If you travel regularly you will need to get aweeks pass because of the cost involved. It renders the pass useless in my opinion. Giving us a child fare option or reduced rate before 930am would at least recognise its not our choice to use public transport and its something that is forced on us by the nature of our impairments... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 (edited) According to the latest annual SYPTE report found here http://www.sypte.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Corporate/Plans_and_Strategies/5681_Business%20Plan_2013_DC_06.pdf SYPTE spend £2.66million a year on the discretionary extras on the concessionary travel scheme, on top of the £30.49millon on the ENCTS basics. The basics (ie bus travel for Senior/Disabled 09:30-23:00) is funded by government via the council, the discretionary extras is money that has to be found locally. ---------- Post added 09-02-2014 at 13:39 ---------- it is not as simple as paying before 930am. If you travel regularly you will need to get aweeks pass because of the cost involved. It renders the pass useless in my opinion. Giving us a child fare option or reduced rate before 930am would at least recognise its not our choice to use public transport and its something that is forced on us by the nature of our impairments... ok, so what else in the transport budget should be cut to pay for it? And why should someone in South Yorkshire get this but not in most other parts of England? That is the reality (rightly or wrongly). Edited February 9, 2014 by Andy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now