In the last few hours or so the Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his government have announced that disabled people will be entitled to 24 hour bus travel using their concessionary bus passes from April next year (2027).
As someone with a disability who lives in a rural part of the country and has a free bus pass funded by my local authority I have real concerns that this scheme will not work for people like myself.
At present buses operated by companies in Herefordshire stop running in the early part of the evening, so there would have to be extension of operating hours so that our community can access the new scheme being proposed.
This morning I spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester about these very real concerns, where I said that ” the proposed scheme is not going to work in rural parts of the country like Herefordshire and Worcestershire for people with mobility issues or disabilities”.
” The funds earmarked for the scheme should be spent on improving the current bus stocks accessibility which is not great at present and means that only one or two wheelchairs (depending on the size of the bus) being used on a particular. route, are able to board them”.
“if bus accessibility improvements were allowed to be funded by this money, more disabled people would be allowed to board services and not be left on the pavement whilst buses pass by the stop because there is a wheelchair or multiple buggies already on the bus”
” On several occasions in recent years I have been left at bus stops in my home town as a result of this very issue which has left me feeling upset and very angry at times”.
My message to transport bosses at Herefordshire Council is a very clear one and this is, “please don’t urge local bus companies to change their operating times just to accommodated our community for this scheme”.
” Despite having a free bus pass funded by you (Herefordshire Council) I currently do not use local bus services in Hereford on a regular basis due to the unreliability of them and in my view the services won’t get better anytime soon unless a review into the provision is undertaken”.
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It is only right that I take the opportunity to thank the bus drivers across the county (Herefordshire) for their support at times in ensuring that I am able to travel around the county with ease.
Your support with this has not gone unnoticed and is of course very much appreciated and always will be.
Finally, thank you to each and everyone of you my regular loyal readers and social media followers who continually take the time out of your busy schedules to read my latest posts, it doesn’t go unnoticed and is of course very much appreciated.
Cam
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