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Basildon pensioners lose out over bus pass changes
6:52am Friday 1st February 2008
Comments (2)PENSIONERS in Basildon will lose an hour and a half's free travel time a day on their bus passes from April.
At the moment, passes can be used countywide between 9am and midnight.
From April, when a similar, national scheme comes in, over-sixties and the disabled in Basildon will only be allowed to use their passes from 9.30am to 11pm.
Basildon Council, has taken the decision to save money and help its case to the Government for more funding for the scheme.
Keith Hudson, deputy leader of Rochford District Council said: "This could be something the council may have to consider when the impact of the national scheme becomes clear.
"Reducing the hours passes are available could be one way of helping to meet the shortfall in funding."
However, Nigel Holdcroft, leader of Southend Council, said people in Southend would still be able to use their passes from 9am.
He added: "The cabinet looked at changing the time to 9.30am for people in Southend, but felt this was unfair to disabled people who worked.
"We decided the time should be retained at 9am."
The position for Castle Point pensioners is not yet clear.
Your Say YourEcho
slapshot, Essex says...
11:28am Fri 1 Feb 08
Nigel wrote:The small amount of money saved will make no difference to council tax. Its a bit strange that any time this council makes a cut back, that will effect a minority, they shout that its to keep Council Tax down, and then when you get your next bill in, big shock its gone up.
I cannot see a problem with this as I don't know many pensioners who are out partying until midnight! In any event, it is only right that non-essential services are trimmed in order to keep council tax increases to a remotely sensible level. The culprit here is of course Labour, which has laid ever increasing burdens on councils, while removing funding from Conservative ones.
If they cry Council Tax after every tough cut back then they must be very uncomfortable about it and so they should be.
Labour or tory they are all the same and basildon counci have to stand and take the blame for any decision they make and stop passing it of to Goverment, County or EU.
The EU have just begun a ruling that states The carer of the disabled or OAP has the same rights under disability laws as the disabled.
Look out Mr Buckley you may have to change ya mind.
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Nigel, says...
10:44am Fri 1 Feb 08
In any event, it is only right that non-essential services are trimmed in order to keep council tax increases to a remotely sensible level.
The culprit here is of course Labour, which has laid ever increasing burdens on councils, while removing funding from Conservative ones.