Sheffield freedom ride pensioners

[Eater Sundae]

I’m in my early 60s. I was looking forward to travel concessions when I got to 60, (who doesn’t like a freebie?) but the goal posts moved as I was approaching 60 and I will now have to wait a few more years. If there is limited money available to run bus and train services, then the providers must look at their priorities. They should aim to defend and expand key services. If that means that some concessionary allowances go, then so be it. A concession is a nice to have, but it is not a right.

 

I may miss out on concessions, but I’ll get by.

 

As others have said, being retired is not a disability.

 

At the end of the day, whether or not to provide concessionary fares (either free or reduced price travel) is a political decision. Members of the public and / or organizations are able to try and persuade the government (National or Local as appropriate to the situation) to provide the concessions that they want. It may or may not work. In my opinion, it wouldn’t bother me if there were no concessions for pensioners. However, I’m all for heavy subsidy for disabled travelers.

[petemcewan]

To "No User Name".

 

What do you mean , " Copy and paste" ?

 

I wrote what I understand the law to be in respect of the the conduct of the police. The quotation marks, are for the purpose of indicating that the words have been taken from a source. Maybe you don't understand what quotation marks are used for. Copy and Paste ... No I don't think so.

 

 

Anyway, most of what I wrote are statements of fact . Instruction given to police officers, on how they should conduct themselves.

 

I did not intentionally post an almost identical second post. I some how managed it by accident . Some time in the future, I will learn how to "copy and paste." So keep your unfound accusations to yourself .

 

You jump in with both feet first. It appears to me that you don't like anything that doesn't accord with your perspective. I bet you're the type of person who could create , "an argument in an empty house." I hope that needles you.

 

Any person who feels they have been assaulted by the police -can make a complaint, take out an action against them . That's the Law.

Edited July 3, 2014 by petemcewan

[Annie Bynnol]

 

...SYPTE should not have given disabled people free rail travel, without giving it to the pensioners. ...

 

So one group should be financially punished because another does not get its own way. Solidarity!

 

From the very first many people on here had sympathy for the registered disabled, personally I thought it should have been a national managed and funded scheme.

 

Some protestors latched on to this as "pensioners and disabled" in order to protect their freebee. They are two separate groups linked only by the timing of cuts.

 

So please South Yorkshire pensioners who have got bus passes and half price train travel, give up your train freebee to help those over 60 to have free bus travel.

 

'the pensioners' are forgetting that other pensioners cannot get a bus pass but still expect to be funded by them.

[Resident]

Police were called to arrest fare-dodgers. Two of those fare-dodgers VIOLENTLY resisted arrest, adding further to their charge sheet. They were dealt with appropriately.

 

Where did you recieve this information, because in every article written there has not been one mention of the fare dodgers resisting arrest, violently or otherwise, If you can show me evidence then fair enough.

If they wanted to arrest the fare dodgers, why only arrest two people, one of whom wasn't a fare dodger. Have a look at the charges they were charged with.

 

1. The police wouldn't have used the restraint technique they did if he was complying with instructions given by them

 

2. It certainly wouldn't have taken 5 officers to create a human barrier between the other members of the public and the offender.

 

3. In the video on Youtube (

) At the 43 sec mark, clearly tries to swing his bag at an officer. That's resisting arrest and attempted assault of a police officer.

 

 

Now they may have decided, once he was in custody that they did not want to pursue those charges or the CPS decided, it's at their discretion.

[sheff1johnny]

So one group should be financially punished because another does not get its own way. Solidarity!

 

From the very first many people on here had sympathy for the registered disabled, personally I thought it should have been a national managed and funded scheme.

 

Some protestors latched on to this as "pensioners and disabled" in order to protect their freebee. They are two separate groups linked only by the timing of cuts.

 

So please South Yorkshire pensioners who have got bus passes and half price train travel, give up your train freebee to help those over 60 to have free bus travel.

 

'the pensioners' are forgetting that other pensioners cannot get a bus pass but still expect to be funded by them.

 

Where I agree with you is, that there should be an age set in stone, and maybe a nationally run scheme would be a better idea.

Also does anyone else think it is strange that South Yorkshire is the only county in the country that has no bus link to any other cities, apart from Wakefield. The original reason the subsidy was introduced on the trains was to make up for the withdrawal of X32 and X33 services.

If these services were reintroduced, sypte could reduce the subsidy paid to Northern Rail, as people would be able to go to West Yorkshire via bus. If these services were reintroduced, no one would need the train, and those who do would have to pay for the privilege.

 

---------- Post added 04-07-2014 at 12:56 ----------

 

And as for people trying to convince me that disabled pensioners could get a mobility pass, maybe when sypte where in charge of them but now it is the discretion of the council, I think this is no longer the case

A Disabled Person’s Travel Permit allows the holder to travel at any time within South

Yorkshire, on a bus, train or tram for the concessionary fare. You may be able to get a

permit if you meet one of the necessary conditions and you are aged between 05-65 years

old (between 17 and 65 years of age if applying under the criteria ‘refused a Driving License

or had your license withdrawn).

The Local Medical Committee have advised Sheffield GPs that they are not required to

provide reports or letters of support of Travel Permit applications. You will need to obtain

any evidence from another medical professional. Please be aware that any fee charged for

the provision of supporting medical evidence will be payable by the applicant.

[Plain Talker]

Sheff1johnny., there is no direct bus to Wakefield.

 

To get to Wakefield by bus, you have to get to the city centre, (Sheffield interchange) and connect with the 265 stagecoach service to Barnsley interchange. Then, at Barnsley, connect with what I believe to be an Arriva bus service to Wakefield.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Plain Talker
Called sheff1johnny by the wrong name sorry.

[Annie Bynnol]

...

The original reason the subsidy was introduced on the trains was to make up for the withdrawal of X32 and X33 services.

If these services were reintroduced, sypte could reduce the subsidy paid to Northern Rail, as people would be able to go to West Yorkshire via bus. If these services were reintroduced, no one would need the train, and those who do would have to pay for the privilege.

 

Buses can be introduced/withdrawn because no profit is being made. Local authorities are allowed to subsidise the bus service if appropriate and in the case of the X32/3 there were alternatives. South Yorkshire might subsidise a company who reintroduced the service but they cannot afford to do so because of the demands of a selfish group who want the money spent on them.

 

The introduction of the train freebee was associated with the funding by South Yorkshire of rolling stock for extra services. This was complicated by the much bigger subsidy made by West Yorkshire. This resulted in Northern getting a lump sum in exchange for an aspiration which cannot now be afforded.

 

Rail travel between South and West Yorkshire has improved in terms of routes, time and frequency and the buses could not compete- there are coaches but of course you have to pay for that privilege

 

The demise of X32/3 is well covered in this thread.

 

This post and many of the protestors seem to want inter city travel to Leeds for free- please ask Leeds Chamber of Commerce not South Yorkshire to pay for this.

[Guest busdriver1]

Sheff1johnny., there is no direct bus to Wakefield.

 

To get to Wakefield by bus, you have to get to the city centre, (Sheffield interchange) and connect with the 265 stagecoach service to Barnsley interchange. Then, at Barnsley, connect with what I believe to be an Arriva bus service to Wakefield.

 

The point was "a direct bus from South Yorkshire". Barnsley is in South Yorkshire.

[Resident]

What's the issue with having to catch multiple services? It's not like they're paying any more is it.

[Tridentine]

Being a pensioner I don't see what all the fuss is about. Free rail travel was a concession not an entitlement and if the community as a whole needs to tighten its belt then all have to play their part. If you protest by entering a train with no intention of paying then that's fraud so expect to be challenged.

 

However, if pensioners want something to really get excited about how about this proposal ......

 

Daily Telegraph letters 4 July 2014.

 

SIR – I’d be surprised if Labour’s health spokesmen are against the proposals I am putting to Labour’s National Policy Review on refinancing the NHS and social care. The objection you report them making is squared in the report.

 

As the gainers from social care will be overwhelmingly older people, it would, of course, be unfair if yet another burden was placed on non-grey voters. That’s why I propose that all pensioner income should be brought within the National Insurance contributory system so that pensioners, who will most benefit from social care being combined with the NHS, and from the NHS service itself, should pay their fair whack once their income is high enough.

 

On the financing crisis described by Mary Riddell (Comment, July 2), there is no alternative to my proposal, except to accept that within a Parliament the NHS we know will not exist – no happy prospect for voters looking to Labour to protect them.

 

Frank Field MP (Lab)

London SW1