Travel voucher shame

I was unhappy to hear the council voted down a Conservative and Charity-proposed solution to the travel voucher mess (brought about by Labour's lack of faith in the ability of local authorities to look after their residents).

My colleagues proposed a joint venture with Age Concern, who would have managed an alternative scheme to the travel vouchers. This would have enabled the elderly, disabled and infirm to continue to get about with dignity and at a rate affordable to the council (a tenth the cost of maintaining travel vouchers under the new concessionary fares scheme).

In a shocking (political?) move, the sensible proposal was voted down by the chamber's Liberal, Labour and Independent councillors. The reason given? It would become an on-going concern -- an outrageous and pathetic excuse! The Lib-Dem administration showed they have no problem cutting ongoing concerns when they scrapped one of our town's essential Park and Rides to fund their recycling scheme!

This council is right to make sure it does not to hold people back in certain circumstances (e.g. by investing £50,000 in local Olympic causes), but it should not do that if it means leaving our most vulnerable behind, as their rejection of our propsal will. Shame on them.

Travel vouchers decision causes cross-party uproar!

I'm delighted to see cross-party consensus over plans to scrap Travel Vouchers (to bring in free bus travel for the over-60s - I spoke about this last month).

Cllr Julia Bett, a blogging Lib Dem, has called an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday to bring a motion asking for a rethink on the way the scheme is funded.

Cllr Eric Hotson, leader of the Conservative Group in Maidstone Borough Council, has pledge his support for the motion. I will be there too providing my support on behalf of Fant residents, although the meeting is open to members of the public.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm and will be held at Maidstone Town Hall - hope to see you there!

Disappointing to lose Travel Vouchers

I think it’s a shame that Maidstone Borough Council is scrapping Transport Vouchers as part of the new national concessionary travel scheme (free bus passes for over 60s). Travel vouchers allow elderly residents to catch any form of transport to and from their place of residence, where as the new concessionary scheme is a time-limited bus pass.

People often forget the elderly who live outside of town centres and away from bus routes. They’ve had to suffer from a lack of services, post office closures, and now this.

I have spoken to residents and friends who use the vouchers to fund a taxi trip to the nearest bus-stop. These people are now dependent on family to avoid being house-bound.

Granted, the bus pass will benefit many of Maidstone’s urban dwellers. But what is the council going to do for pensioners such as Gladys Nerrit of Plains Avenue, or our large (and ever growing) population of elderly country-dwellers?