Sheffield freedom ride pensioners

[Plain Talker]

Sorry Robbert that isn't quite the case. A friend of mine's daughter was caught up in the issue about disabled passengers. She's working age, paid sweeties and the decision to take away her free travel was a big expense she couldn't afford.

 

So they wrote to the relevant authorities, requested meetings which they hadand it was resolved peacefully. No-one was arrested, no-one broke the law, no-one ended up in court. Why did these folks choose to do the exact opposite exactly for something that actually they have absolutely no legal right to whatsoever?

 

Annbaker, if it's the lady I'm thinking of, her plight, and the plight of others like her were the precise reason that I and the other chap who took the legal action did so.

And as was said before, it was, absolutely, all done, as you say, legally, respectfully without recourse to any violence or lawbreaking, using due process of the law, and the case was won, and concessions were brought back in.

Yes the OAPs got a partial reinstatement with half price fares, but, surely, half price is better than a poke in the eye with a stick.

[annbaker]

Annbaker, if it's the lady I'm thinking of, her plight, and the plight of others like her were the precise reason that I and the other chap who took the legal action did so.

And as was said before, it was, absolutely, all done, as you say, legally, respectfully without recourse to any violence or lawbreaking, using due process of the law, and the case was won, and concessions were brought back in.

Yes the OAPs got a partial reinstatement with half price fares, but, surely, half price is better than a poke in the eye with a stick.

 

PT I'd say so but some people are never happy. Getting Sal's fares re-instated for me was great. And they thought it was a hopeless cause when they started out. Just shows what can be done by being reasonable!

[Plain Talker]

PT I'd say so but some people are never happy. Getting Sal's fares re-instated for me was great. And they thought it was a hopeless cause when they started out. Just shows what can be done by being reasonable!

 

We weren't certain of succeeding, but we went into it with the thought, we put together a good argument, and they could give us one of two possible answers:-

 

Yes you're right, we didn't look at the adverse impact here are the concessions back,

Or

No we were absolutely right to withdraw the concessions, it stays as per the changes.

 

The action was taken on behalf of the 265,000 - odd pass holders in the region, and thankfully it succeeded. Which means that for people like Sal, her pittance of a wage won't be eaten into by fares.

[annbaker]

We weren't certain of succeeding, but we went into it with the thought, we put together a good argument, and they could give us one of two possible answers:-

 

Yes you're right, we didn't look at the adverse impact here are the concessions back,

Or

No we were absolutely right to withdraw the concessions, it stays as per the changes.

 

The action was taken on behalf of the 265,000 - odd pass holders in the region, and thankfully it succeeded. Which means that for people like Sal, her pittance of a wage won't be eaten into by fares.

 

What I don't understand is why the ring leaders of this group of so called hard done by pensioners didn;t make any attempt to talk to people like yourself who were key players in sorting out the disabled concessions. Not hard is it really/What did you do? Who did you talk to - common sense stuff.

 

Why break the law and make eejits of themselves and cost the taxpayer more money in police and court time for something that isn't a legal entitlement to start with ? I don't geddit!

 

For all you pensioners, isn't half price better than nothing at all given the cash flow situation? Wish i could get cut price travel!

[alchemist]

In a staggering display of self-centred hypocricy the freeloaders turned up to "support" the public sector workers strike in Barnsley!!! If they have their way some of those jobs will be lost and pay rises frozen again to pay for their free jaunts to Leeds. Talk about rubbing it in

[annbaker]

In a staggering display of self-centred hypocricy the freeloaders turned up to "support" the public sector workers strike in Barnsley!!! If they have their way some of those jobs will be lost and pay rises frozen again to pay for their free jaunts to Leeds. Talk about rubbing it in

 

As one who was on strike, I don't want their support thanks! My pay rise of 1% last year gives me the equivalent of a bar of chocolate a week and I'm a middle manager so lower paid staff get a lot less! Hey maybe with this year's 1% I can get two! Not going to pay for the massive upsurge in bills tho we all have to pay.

[Andy]

I still can't understand why the pensioners think they should get free travel to Leeds, but have never protested that they don't get free train travel to Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh or London. What is so special about going to Leeds when you're an OAP?

 

I said before but I'll say again, here in Hertfordshire the pensioners do get extra concessions over and above the legally required minimum. These are subsidised by the county council, who also subsidise a lot of our rural bus services especially at evenings and weekends. Every year we see the bus services being cut, e.g. routes that were once hourly become two hourly. Routes extended to run via other villages so they can use one bus instead of two but the journey takes twice as long. Evening routes cut back to the bone, Sunday services cut (my village has 2 buses a day on a Sunday now).

 

Is this a price worth paying to allow the pensioners to go to another town for a day out at the tax payer's expense? I think not, in all honesty.

[sheff1johnny]

Sorry Robbert that isn't quite the case. A friend of mine's daughter was caught up in the issue about disabled passengers. She's working age, paid sweeties and the decision to take away her free travel was a big expense she couldn't afford.

 

So they wrote to the relevant authorities, requested meetings which they hadand it was resolved peacefully. No-one was arrested, no-one broke the law, no-one ended up in court. Why did these folks choose to do the exact opposite exactly for something that actually they have absolutely no legal right to whatsoever?

 

So how can a disabled person have more right to free travel than a pensioner?

Yes, some disabled people work, not all. Some pensioners work, not all.

I just want to see why a disabled person should be given more free travel than a pensioner. Please explain this from a legal viewpoint.

If I were aiming for a judicial review, these would be my points.

 

WHY ARE THE FREEDOM RIDERS PPROTESTING?

 

1. Two people are travelling from Sheffield to Leeds by ‘Northern Rail’ train from Sheffield to Leeds. Both of them are disabled, one is paying, the other is free. They both have passes. The only difference is the person paying is a pensioner.

2. Sheffield, England’s fourth largest city, is the only city in the UK, that has no bus link to any other city.

3. SYPTE has a contract with Stagecoach supertram, that each time a mobility, child pass, or a pensioners pass is used they are paid £1.40. There is no limit on the amount Stagecoach supertram can receive. They also let anyone else in the country use a pass on their network.

4. I can not use my mobility pass on the London tube, so why can Londoners use our tram system.

5. No Pensioners or disabled groups were consulted with during the proposed cuts.

 

 

What can be done?

 

1. Train travel could be withdrawn at peak times.

2. A re-introduction of a service like X32 between Sheffield-Barnsley-Leeds.

3. A new service between Doncaster and Leeds.

4. SYPTE could afford all this by renegotiating its contract with Stagecooach Supertram.

Why should it be done.

1. Social exclusion is one of the biggest killers in older people.

2. For every £1 invested in making public transport more accessible, £1.50 is realised to the local economies were these people will spend their money.

3. SYPTE is the only transport executive to make such a difference to pensioners and mobility pass holders.

4. Some pensioners are disabled, but still have to pay to travel on the train.

Edited July 11, 2014 by sheff1johnny

[No User Name]

A new service between Doncaster and Leeds? Come on, now you are just being stupid. And what "contract" is this then?

[Plain Talker]

I'm interspersing my comments as it's too much to individually answer using quotes:-

 

So how can a disabled person have more right to free travel than a pensioner?

Yes, some disabled people work, not all. Some pensioners work, not all.

I just want to see why a disabled person should be given more free travel than a pensioner. Please explain this from a legal viewpoint.

If I were aiming for a judicial review, these would be my points.

 

 

because a disabled person has more need of peak time travel.

 

WHY ARE THE FREEDOM RIDERS PROTESTING?

 

1. Two people are travelling from Sheffield to Leeds by ‘Northern Rail’ train from Sheffield to Leeds. Both of them are disabled, one is paying, the other is free. They both have passes. The only difference is the person paying is a pensioner.

three people are travelling individually, two having purchased a railcard ( family, disabled or oap card...why shouldn't the third person also get a discount, even though he hasn't got a railcard.... See the flawed logic in your argument yet?

 

 

2. Sheffield, England’s fourth largest city, is the only city in the UK, that has no bus link to any other city.

 

I can't disagree that this is a correct statement as far as I can see.

 

3. SYPTE has a contract with Stagecoach supertram, that each time a mobility, child pass, or a pensioners pass is used they are paid £1.40. There is no limit on the amount Stagecoach supertram can receive. They also let anyone else in the country use a pass on their network.

and your point is, what ? We pass holders can travel on buses all over the country. When every other area has trams, we can seek to redress this

 

4. I can not use my mobility pass on the London tube, so why can Londoners use our tram system.

 

because, as was explained in another answer, London has a totally different set of rules and Terms and conditions since privatisation.

 

When every other city has trams, then we could look at making parity achievable.

5. No Pensioners or disabled groups were consulted with during the proposed cuts.

actually, many groups were polled, a few responded, but the consultation was flawed.

 

What can be done?

 

1. Train travel could be withdrawn at peak times.

2. A re-introduction of a service like X32 between Sheffield-Barnsley-Leeds.

3. A new service between Doncaster and Leeds.

4. SYPTE could afford all this by renegotiating its contract with Stagecooach Supertram.

Why should it be done.

1. Social exclusion is one of the biggest killers in older people.

2. For every £1 invested in making public transport more accessible, £1.50 is realised to the local economies were these people will spend their money.

3. SYPTE is the only transport executive to make such a difference to pensioners and mobility pass holders.

4. Some pensioners are disabled, but still have to pay to travel on the train.