Bus Passes - latest news
Date Published: 29th April 2008
Bus passes for over 60s.
There has been a problem all across the country with the issuing of
the over 60s national free travel passes. The company handling the
processing of applications (one of the Government specified
suppliers) admits that the numbers of passes required has exceeded
their original estimates by 300,000 amounting to 1.5million
nationally.
Here in Braintree District, we normally expect around
15,000 applications which have been dealt with promptly in
previous years. We were able to send the names of existing pass
holders to the company in good time, so virtually all of these have
been supplied.
However, the number of calls to the Council indicates that there
may be a few hundred people still waiting for a pass and action has
been taken to process these applications as quickly as possible. If
residents have not received their pass they may be elegible for a
temporary pass, which can be requested by calling : 01376 552525
extension 2355.
Date Published: 1st April 2008
New bus
passes due to be issued for use on 1 April 2008 have been delayed
due to problems with despatch. The Council’s suppliers are working
on this and the new passes are due to arrive by the weekend. This
is a problem affecting a number of councils in East Anglia and
across the country.
In the meantime, arrangements have been made with local bus
operators for the existing bus passes to be honoured for local
travel until the 30th April 2008.
From 1 April 2008, a new ‘Free in England Travel Concession’
scheme starts and passes will be valid throughout England between
9.30am and 11pm weekdays and all day at weekends and bank holidays.
In the Braintree District this will be valid from 9am to 11pm
weekdays and all day at weekends and bank holidays.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, telephone the Customer Services
Centre on 01376 552525.
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If you are 60 years of age or over, or you have a disability and
claim the higher mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
(DLA), AND you live permanently in the Braintree District
Council area, then you are entitled to choose one of the following
travel concessions each year to assist travel on public transport
throughout the county:
Fare Paid Essex Travel Pass - This
FREE bus travel pass entitles the holder to FREE
travel anywhere in Essex (after 9am weekdays or all day
weekends and bank holidays).
Travel Tokens - cost £15.00 for £40.00 value of
tokens.Tokens may be used to pay for most bus, taxi or rail fares.
They are intended to assist towards travel for the resident who
travels infrequently or is unable to use the public bus
service.
We also offer the concession choice of a Fare
Paid Companion Pass (£34.00) to help
people with certain disabling conditions who need a companion with
them to enable them to travel. Please contact us if you
require help or advice about the eligibility requirements for this
type of pass.
How to claim your concession:
-
Standard Application Form for 2007/8
-
Disabled Applicant Form 2007/8 and
Disabled Conditions of Use 2007/8
If you are an existing customer: In the month
before your current concession expires you should receive a renewal
letter to claim your new Travel Pass or Travel Tokens for the
current year. Note: all tokens expire 31st March whereas
travel passes expire a year from their date of issue (expiry dates
are stated on the bus pass).
New Applicants: Application forms are available
above or from the Council Offices. You will need to complete an
application form, produce some required evidence as proof of
eligibility as well as a passport photo and/or payment (depending
on concession type applied for) and then your concession for the
year can be issued.
What to do if you lose your Travel Pass...
Please take care of your travel pass but if you do lose it a
duplicate replacement can be issued once we have recieved another
passport size picture of yourself and a £2 administration fee. We
ask that you wait 7 days before we issue a duplicate travel pass to
see if yours is handed into the Council.