The country wide bus pass starts in April and this poster in a bus shelter is the first information I have seen anywhere about it. One thing I did notice is it is just country wide and that country is England. No mention of the other three countries that make up The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, more commonly known as the UK. Maybe some civil servant in Whithall knows more about devolution than is letting on.I can see the odd row developing in the summer when we have to charge visitors from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but let all the English get on for free. Could that not be considered discrimination?
Anyway, to find out more about the bus passes click here. It's a government site so good luck.
9 comments:
Simple answer: It's complicated. Certain issues in Whitehall cannot be actioned in certain prinicalities (i.e. Wales, Ireland, Scotland). It's because they are pretty much half independant.
And it wouldn't be discrimination: The English have had their tickets paid for. The Scottish, Welsh and Irish haven't.
It would make a change for the English not to have to pay for something - it's usually only the Scottish and Welsh who get free stuff, not the other way round.
Already seen a few on my bus. Of course the things are a bit of a curse as they encourage the holder to travel one stop when they'd probably benefit from the walk. A fellow driver who jokingly enquired of one such cardholder "Bit too far to walk is it?" was met with "It's my right to travel where I like with my free pass." When said driver pointed out to the passenger that it might be free for her but that everyone else on board had probably paid for it he was reported, suspended and sent on a "Customer Awareness Course" by the company. You couldn't make it up.
Customer Awareness Course? Just for that? What would be wrong in saying the passenger lied outright?
I might just continue with my LGV training then, drive a Parcel Force truck lol.
I always wish bus drivers would be more like the one from Little Miss Jocelyn
You want copies of the posters for work, Dave?
I once had 5 ladies jump on the bus in Fleet Walk, the leader of this little group told the others to get on and show me their passes. She then said, "The Harbour, well it's free isn't it." the reason for the it's free comment is the Harbour is 200 yards down the road. I pointed out that A) Bus passes aren't free, some one is paying for them and B) It would have been cheaper to get a taxi than the cost to the tax payers who are paying for bus passes.
Since then I have carefully and deliberately refrained from saying anything to pass holders who abuse their passes in this way. I would prefere to drive a bus than go on a customer awareness day out. I got into too much trouble the last time I went on one of these waste of times.
There is a theory going round that the free bus passes are a plot by the government to reduce the physical activity of the elderly so they pop off sooner; less old aged pensions to dole out.
Did that come from the same person who thinks the twin towers were holograms?
Free bus pass is a bad name..they should have thought of a clever name like...oh I don't know....well something to stipulate that it's not free.
Or have a minimum distance applied to the passes. Or just scrap the whole lot completely.
Rock Walk
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