Bus pass bliss

Following the consultation of changes to the free bus pass scheme I wish to make the following points:

The overall attitude to the scheme seems to be one of reducing the costs of the scheme by either raising the age at which the pass is available or introducing some form of charges. I feel it is extremely short-sighted to regard this scheme as one of only benefit to older people; with the huge volume of traffic on our roads today, and at this time of austerity and the very poor state of repair of road surfaces, the great benefit of the free bus pass is that of reducing traffic on the roads and stimulating the bus service network.

It is a complaint of many vehicle users that they would consider using public transport if the system was better and more frequent: surely the free bus pass scheme is encouraging exactly that. Of course, there are other benefits – enabling people of otherwise limited means to visit friends, relatives and simply make shopping and other excursions.

People like myself, living in one of the island groups, face significant ferry costs in bringing a vehicle on to the mainland – the bus pass scheme is

of huge benefit in countering some of the many costs of offshore living.

Instead of increasing the age at which a free bus pass can be issued, it should be lowered to encourage use of public transport, benefiting the environment by fewer vehicle emissions, less road use etc. If a reduction in costs of the scheme is necessary, surely a better idea is to either introduce a token annual fee for the pass or perhaps a small token charge per journey made, ensuring that those making the most use of the pass contribute more. Reducing the bus pass age to, say, 55 and making it available to students and apprentices, would bring many benefits to society – the government should take a wider view when looking at the future of the scheme.

JERRY LUTY Quidinish, Isle of Harris