Over 60's - Concessionary Travel Changes
Tuesday 1st April 2003 will see the end of the entitlement to free travel for women 60-64 in the West Midlands, replacing this with half-fare travel for men and women reaching 60 on or after that date.
Free travel for all will continue from age 65. Women who currently hold free travel passes, or who turn 60 by 31st March, are not affected by this decision and will continue to receive free travel.
Men 60-64 by the 31st March cut-off date will receive a free travel pass valid from Age Equalisation Day, 1st April.The new arrangements come as a result of Government legislation to equalise the qualifying age for over-60s travel concessions, and meet the conditions set out in the Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Act 2002.
The seven West Midlands District Councils asked the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA) to select this proposal for age equalisation on cost grounds, as against the Authority?s own significantly more costly preferred option of free travel from 60 for both men and women. The WMPTA voted for the Districts’ preferred option in January.
Some 55,000 men who are 60 to 64 by 31st March will benefit from free travel up to five years early, whilst men turning 60 on or after 1st April will also get a new benefit, namely half-fare travel, an estimated 11,000 men per year group.
Women turning 60 on and after 1st April (some 12,000 women in each year group) will now find the anticipated benefit of free travel from 60 deferred by five years, and will qualify for half-fares only until age 65. This change will also affect women holders of blind and disabled half-fare passes who, up to now, have transferred to a pensioners’ free travel pass from age 60.
Leaflets carrying application forms for the Senior Citizen Free Pass and Half Fare Permit are now available from main Post Offices, Birmingham City Council Neighbourhood Offices and Centro Travel Information Centres at Birmingham New Street, and Coventry and Wolverhampton bus stations.
Applicants will need documentation to prove age and residence in West Midlands County. Two recent colour passport style photos will also be required. Please call Centro’s Travel Schemes Section on 0121 214 7207 / 7068 during office hours with any queries, or for more details.
Cllr Richard Worrall, Chair of the WMPTA, said: "The introduction of age equalisation in the West Midlands has brought about some quite complicated changes for the over 60s, affecting tens of thousands of citizens. There are bound to be some hiccups given the scale of the operation over the next couple of weeks, so I would ask people to show patience if problems arise, and contact Centro on the numbers given.""We’re keen everyone gets his or her full entitlement, be it half fare or free travel, and so I urge people to make their applications as soon as possible.
However, I’d like to reassure everyone who hasn’tt applied by 31st March, for whatever reason, e.g. holidays, that your entitlement isn’t affected. This can be taken up at any time, be it now or later."For more information click here to visit the Centro website.
Published 19th March 2003