Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Growth & Infrastructure

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/187

Contact: Dick Helling, Principal Policy Officer Tel: (01865) 815859

Report by Head of Highways & Transport (CA11).

The County Council is obliged to take over from District Councils the statutory duty of managing the concessionary fares scheme for elderly and disabled people from 1 April 2011.  Some decisions on this matter have already been made by Cabinet in November 2010; this report covers the further issues which require to be resolved to ensure that this duty is fulfilled.  In all cases decisions are for 2011/12 only; the details of schemes for future years, from 1 April 2012 onwards, will be considered nearer the time.

A pass for free bus travel is a statutory entitlement for elderly and disabled people, but some districts have been exercising discretionary powers also to offer travel tokens and/or free travel on dial-a-ride services.  Consultation has been carried out with users and stakeholders on a proposal that the county will not offer these discretionary enhancements from 1 April 2011 (thus reducing the options which are available to some users in some districts at present).  The outcome of this consultation is summarised in the report and a decision invited on this.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)         To allow free travel on Dial-a-Ride services for concessionary passholders during 2011/12;

b)         not offer any alternative (such as tokens or a senior railcard) to the standard concessionary pass, during 2011/12;

c)         delegate to the Deputy Director (Highways and Transport), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, the authority to manage all aspects of the County Council’s concessionary fares scheme during 2011/12, in accordance with the principles set out in this report and the report to Cabinet on 16 November 2010, and to incur expenditure as necessary for the purpose; and

d)         ask officers to report back on experience of running the scheme during 2011/12, and invite Cabinet to agree the details of the scheme for subsequent years (including possible changes to the scheme and the taking over of pass-issuing by the County Council).

Mrs Betty Standingford addressed the members of the Cabinet at this point as a user of the Dial A Ride Octobus. She commended the service, saying that she (and other older people) relied upon it heavily and would find it too much to take two buses to the shops  to do her weekly shopping and it also enabled her to keep a stock of food at home in case of inclement weather, or other encountered emergencies. She added that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation had highlighted that people living in rural areas required an extra £43 per month and older people were unlikely to be able to afford it. Therefore the Octobus afforded them some security which was very much valued.

Councillor David Turner welcomed the report CA11A and the efforts on the part of the Cabinet to make concessionary passes more fair. He particularly welcomed the 9:00am start  and the concession for free Dial A Ride use for bus pass owners. He enquired whether the carers accompanying passengers would also be able to participate in the scheme and also whether it could be made easier for renewal post April 2011 and April 2012. He wished the Scheme every success in the future.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth took this opportunity to recommend the Cabinet to agree an additional recommendation to confirm its decision made at the 16 November 2010 Cabinet to offer companion passes to those residents who are eligible for a concessionary pass on grounds of disability and who are between the ages of 5 and 15. This was duly AGREED. He also explained that there was an intention to streamline the renewal of contracts process.

The Cabinet then considered the report CA11A. The County Council was obliged to take over from District Councils the statutory duty of managing the concessionary fares scheme for elderly and disabled people from 1 April 2011.  Some decisions on this matter had already been made by Cabinet in November 2010; the report covered the further issues which required to be resolved to ensure that this duty was fulfilled.  In all cases decisions were for 2011/12 only; the details of schemes for future years, from 1 April 2012 onwards, would be considered nearer the time.

A pass for free bus travel was a statutory entitlement for elderly and disabled people, but some districts had been exercising discretionary powers also to offer travel tokens and/or free travel on dial-a-ride services.  Consultation had been carried out with users and stakeholders on a proposal that the County Council would not offer these discretionary enhancements from 1 April 2011 (thus reducing the options which are available to some users in some districts at present).  The outcome of this consultation was summarised in the report and a decision invited on this.

The Cabinet RESOLVED:

a)         to allow free travel on Dial-a-Ride services for concessionary passholders during 2011/12;

b)         not offer any alternative (such as tokens or a senior railcard) to the standard concessionary pass, during 2011/12;

c)         delegate to the Deputy Director (Highways and Transport), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, the authority to manage all aspects of the County Council’s concessionary fares scheme during 2011/12, in accordance with the principles set out in this report and the report to Cabinet on 16 November 2010, and to incur expenditure as necessary for the purpose; and

d)         ask officers to report back on experience of running the scheme during 2011/12, and invite Cabinet to agree the details of the scheme for subsequent years (including possible changes to the scheme and the taking over of pass-issuing by the County Council).