The Commission for Integrated Transport has called on the government to abolish free bus passes for the elderly and disabled.

Instead the commission gives its support to means testing with some cash diverted to other socially excluded groups such as the unemployed.

Forum Response: Age Concern England

A spokesperson for Age Concern told ePolitix.com: "If this scheme was demolished it would have a terrible effect on many vulnerable older people.

"Bus travel is the most popular method of transport for older people who don't own cars and research shows that without the free bus pass, older people would not travel as often. Free bus passes help older people to stay independent and remain part of their community."

Forum Brief: Help the Aged

Alan Burnett, policy officer for Help the Aged, said, "Help the Aged is seriously concerned by proposals by the Commission for Integrated Transport to abolish older people's free bus passes.

"Free bus transport gives older people the independence to travel from one local area to another without worrying about the cost. Furthermore many older people have to travel on public transport for hospital and medical appointments."

"Older people are among the poorest groups in society. Only one third of pensioners have incomes high enough to make them liable to pay income tax while 47 per cent of pensioners have less than £1500 in savings.

"Help the Aged wants to see a public transport system, which is affordable, safe, reliable and accessible for older and disabled people. Removing free bus travel would be a backward step in supporting older people's transport needs."

"Help the Aged believes that removing older people's free bus travel is a mistake. It would increase older people's isolation and social exclusion as well as placing further pressure on social services community transport such as dial a ride."

Forum Response: ARP/050

A spokeman for ARP/050 told ePolitix.com: "The suggestions contained in the report from the government's Commission for Integrated Transport to abolish free bus passes for pensioners and the disabled will be totally unacceptable to those concerned.

"Not only will it further marginalise an already disadvantaged social group, but in rural areas particularly - where public transport has already been radically reduced - even access to a limited bus service represents a valued asset to pensioners wishing to travel locally or access nearby urban amenities.

"The suggestion will have several obvious effects. It will deprive one disadvantaged group in order to subsidise another.

"The cost of means-testing yet another pensioner benefit will be greater than the advantage gained. The economic benefit of a mobile elderly population has never been properly calculated. Better-off pensioners who travel free into city centres don't go for the ride - they go to spend!

"Professor David Begg, the Commission's Chairman, is reported to believe that public subsidies should be targeted at groups that are stuck at home: if the wholesale abolition of free passes for older people were to proceed, rather than sustain an important lifeline to the wider world, surely it would have the opposite effect? This would be a major miscalculation of 'pensioner power'. The memory of the 75 pence pension increase still lingers."

Department for Transport

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The government introduced a statutory minimum for concessionary fares in 2001. This ensures that all pensioners have access to half fares in their local area after 9.30am.

"From April 2003, concessionary travel will become available to men aged 60-64, bringing them into line with women of the same age.

"Local Authorities can choose to introduce more generous schemes, but this is entirely a matter for them.

"The government has no plans to either reduce the statutory minimum or stop local authorities introducing more generous schemes."