Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,022
15 October 2009
22:2430585Well said Harry .It was much better when over sixties paid half price .Most of the people who use the River service are like me riding for free .Plus all the children with Freedom passes.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
15 October 2009
22:4130587Sue
Spoken like a true Tory!!! Fancy letting school children and pensioners,none earners, ride for free on the buses in order that they may attend school and become educated and better citizens and pensioners who have worked hard all their life and paid their taxes ride willy nilly around the town. The cheek of the Labour govt is sometimes mind boggling...........God help us all if the Tories get in
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
16 October 2009
07:1830593The suggestion of supporting people to participate in their communities and better themselves is indeed outrageous, Marek - well done for pointing it out! Clearly we need to remember to vote for those true blues who would attack this namby pamby policy-writing when the time comes.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
16 October 2009
07:2930596Sue I think you have missed my point, I am all in favour of free travel for the over 60's it should be on the trains as well. It gets many elderly out that would otherwise be stuck at home.
My point was against Keith implying that ALL bus companies made big money from it when in fact that is far from true, even though it has given more bums on seats. What they get back from Local and central Government is not as far as I am aware some big pot of gold that Keith seems to think.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
16 October 2009
07:4530598Harry
Are you telling me the Stagecosach boss is not a multi millionaire?
anyway, I never supported de regulating the buses as we are now in a positon of disaster in priory.
Agree with Dave travel should be trains to, they run often off peak half empty
remember when they did the £1 fares trains wre jam packed.
Getting bk to the original thread, the maxton bus service is not just elderly fillibg buses up, its a lifeline to many elderly, and young with push chairs
A lifeline, oh for the days of public transport being run in the interests of the public
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 October 2009
09:2631001looks like we can call the dogs off, i have an e mail from the bus planner at kcc who assures me that the 68 bus service will continue to operate, albeit with another operator.
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
20 October 2009
12:1031011I cannot believe that the Chairman of Age Concern should advocate that over 60's pay half fair when they have had the benefit of free travel,some champion of the elderly she is. I have an entitlement to free travel but having a car I haven't applied for it, my mother(88) who lives alone and lives 5 miles from the centre of Birmingham travels all over the Midlands 6 days a week because of the availability of free travel.
Unlike Councillor Nicholas she does not have the benefit of a Council income and without the free travel would be housebound. Should there be no free travel then Councillor Nicholas would be able to claim from DDC for those journies on council business whereas now she uses her bus pass thereby saving DDC money.
She could of course rip up her bus pass and pay for all her journies, the choice is hers.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
20 October 2009
13:2231012Ken
I wonder how all those oap's that attend the various centres around Dover feel about her comments. They would choke on their dunked digestives.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,022
20 October 2009
14:5131013Thanks for that Ken .Perhaps you would like the job of Champion for the Elderly .I have never attended a meeting or received any correspondence about it .Yes I have saved the council hundreds by using my bus pass and I have walked to some meetings .This morning i was reading a publication which I receive weekly .There was an interesting article about concessionary fares .It appears the grant from government does not cover the costs and in a few years time there will be serious financial problems . I speak to many people and they donot have a problem with paying half fare .
This country is in a very serious financial state and we are in debt by billions .
You are an intelliengt chap come off it contriibute to the debate.Let us not get into personsl issuies .
20 October 2009
16:4931020Did you actually read the posting Sue? There are many elders for whom the free travel is a lifeline and without which their lives would be the poorer. I am happy to subsidise this far more than I am happy to subsidise MPs expenses and Councillors jollies.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 October 2009
16:5431021well bern, forget the bankers with their noses in the trough being baled out by the taxpayer, the mps, and all the other leeches, we now know that the pensioners bus pass being taken away will cut the deficit.
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
20 October 2009
17:1331023Sue,This has absolutely nothing to do with personal issues whatsoever, it is pointing out to someone who is not only a trustee of Age Concern but a trustee of The Dover Municipal Charities who also care for Dover's elderly.You should be championing every cause that benefits the elderly irrespective of your own personal views,that is why you were accepted on to both boards of trustee surely.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 October 2009
17:1731024susan never mentioned that she was a trustee of dover municipal charities.
maybe she can get them to be more open, so that we know why many of their buildings are in such a state.
the london road community forum would be very interested too, no doubt.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
20 October 2009
17:5831029I don't want to stir things, but there must be many comfortably off over 60's who would be happy to pay half-fare, if it meant that those who can't afford the fares (even half-fares), can continue to receive free bus travel.
The Municipal Charites of Dover have sold off most of their commercial properties and are in the process of determining costs to do up the others.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 October 2009
18:0831031roger
quite a few people that qualify for free fares and prescriptions do not take advantage, they feel that they do not need the freebies so they pay the full whack.
bit of a surprise?
the government did suggest about the prescription thing a long while ago and many people decided to pay.
20 October 2009
18:4331041I wonder how our beloved MPs would have decided? Oh, right - we already know they would have taken as many freebies as possible, taken the freebies of the person sitting next to them, and then rummaged around in our belongings for more freebies. And then claimed the suitcase they needed to carry all the freebies on expenses.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 October 2009
19:1831046they all get whacking great pensions when they are caught out and sacked.
this may sound hard, but i think that they should pay full fare on the buses.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,022
20 October 2009
20:5631057Ken Re my Chairmanship of Age Concern management Committee.I think you will find I have tried with the help of all trustees to improve the facilities at Riverside .We now have a new bath,kitchen and enlarged snack bar .The whole centre is being decorated and other improvements are on the way .
Municipal Charities as Roger points out a lot of commercial properties have been sold .Gorley House is having improvements and we are looking to modernise and improve the Cowgate Hill Properties .We are always looking out to build or improve on our exsisting stock .
As for councillors jollies Bern last Tuesday going to Maidstone i munched on British Rail sandwiches and i purchased a cup of coffee out of my own money.I dont recall the last jolly i attended .Maybe a cup of coffee at The Merchant Navy Day .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 October 2009
21:0831061susan
no accusation was made about any councillor and freebies.
best read bern's post again.
why do you want the old people to lose their free bus travel, and to many their remaining contact with relatives and friends.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
20 October 2009
22:1431076Obviously bus companies will say the costs aint covered, I would have thought it a great thing to get the elderly able to get out in the community
maybe they can come up with true figures