New Bus Passes Rules

Replies

By diddy diane

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 14:55

I live in Tyne and Wear and we can't use our bus pass until 9.30a.m. monday to Friday and all day at weekends and bank holidays but if you have an hospital appointment before 9.30am if you show the driver you're appointment letter you can travel for free. I have not heard anything about not being able to use it after 9.30pm.

Diane xx

By Tricia

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 15:20

I was about to say the same thing Diane as I am in Tyne & Wear as well.

I do know if you use public transport to go to school or work you can get an all day pass issued but have to provide proof when making the application for the pass. That is for Tyne & Wear not sure if that is the same for right across the country

By Sparhawk73

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 16:18

Thanks for that here in Oxfordshire it is 9am . as you say it is different around the country . it is the drivers in this area that have told me this so will have to wait and see when the new passes come and what the rules are . but it is very inconvenent for pppl like my wife and I.

By welfare

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 16:57

The new National Bus Pass (from 1 April 2008) can be used all day Saturday, Sunday and Public Bank Holidays and between 0930-2300 Monday to Friday. Carers or Companions will not receive free travel unless they are eligible for a pass themselves. However, additional benefits may be offered by individual Local Authorities. See www.direct.gov.uk for more info.

By kerry

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 18:05

what about a taxi provided by your local GP or the hosp???
I used to use this for the boys to go to london appointments. altho you do have to book it anything up to about a week in advance it used to be, and sometimes you cannot guarantee the pick up or collection times. so for a 10am appt you might get picked up at 8.30am.
shoudl be available still jason. especially if u got no other transport and it must be awkward on public tp.
kerry

By kerry

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 18:05

and its free to you

By Bagheera1

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 19:33

How 'bout this one!!!!

Smarmy madam at Merseytravel told me last week that she was cancelling my appt . to 'perform' for their in house doctor and show how poor my walking is because [quote]:
" ..... when you have your Hip Operation next month your mobility will be SOOOOO much better that you WON'T QUALIFY for a Disabled Person Bus Pass" [end quote]

Worse: when I asked for confirmation in writing from her Supervisor, she turned icy on me:
"I AM the Supervisor ......... !" She then refused my request and put the phone down on me. When I complained to the local city councillor, he said that nobody at Merseytravel wwqs able to identify the person I'd been speaking to ..... a clear case of "close ranks, say nothing" !!!

By Mags

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Wed 20 Feb 2008 20:16

In my area you can't go free until after 9.30am now.
The annoying thing for us is that most of the time we can't even use the bus as when it turns up it isn't a wheelchair friendly one or there is two pushchairs in the spaces and the mums aren't willing to fold them up, it happened to us 3 times last week so we had to spend £10 each trip in a taxi!

By chenrezig

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Sat 23 Feb 2008 19:17

My father has pass and I have one as his "companion" on our council website it says that the new passes will have "plus one" witten on the new pass so one companion can travel free - in our case me who pushes the wheelchair -that's if I we can get on!

www.norwich.gov.uk

"Q. I am disabled and currently have a travel companion pass will I be getting a new companion pass?
A. When you get your new pass it will have on it an indicator 'plus one' which will mean you can travel with a companion."

We had one day where there were no prams, pushchairs, or other wheelchairs on the bus. It had a low floor a large space each side of the bus for once, and the driver had already lowered the bus for other passengers. My father and I went to get on and he told us we couldn't get on the bus ! I ignbored him, flashed our legal passes and got on. He continued to shout that we couldn't get on and wouldn't drive off. I wouldn't move - short of him calling the police to turf us off - I thought that'd look good in the papers! We sat there so long some of the other passengers got off thinking the bus had broken down. He ventually found the brains somewhere to phone the depot who told him he had to let us on. The very next day we had a driver who was insistent on helping me get the wheelchair on the bus into town, and then help us off when we got to our destination. There's no rhyme or reason to it

By Tricia

Re: New Bus Passes Rules
Mon 25 Feb 2008 22:18

Does anyone know if the new national bus pass which is due to be issued at the end of March will have this C on them so a companion can travel with the person with a disability?

In Tyne and Wear we don't have a companion travel pass scheme so therefore I am not sure if those with a disabled travel pass will have this additional feature to their new cards.