The merde is about to hit the fan!

The Tories are looking at axing BSOG, (Bus Service Operators Grant, which replaced fuel duty rebate) which all stage carriage operators can claim. If they do axe this, bus fares will increase by a minimum of 10 %, and many rural communities will have no bus at all, as operators will only run profitable services.

If they do this, it will be the death sentence for nearly every independent bus company, and many of the larger groups will contract massively.

This will apply to Scotland and Wales also as BSOG comes from Whitehall. This is a very serious worry for the industry. If they want to save money from the transport budget, the simple solution is axe concessionary fares for children & the free OAP's and muppets. That will save millions a year, and help safeguard jobs in the industry, espcially as the DDA deadline is looming, where all service buses will have to be accessible (i.e low floor).

Are the bus companies legally obliged 2 accept the free travel scheme because if they can refuse it why don't they.As i would like 2 see it scrapped.

Technically no they don't have to. If they actually got together, they could tell the government to shove the passes up their arses.

It costs the government £454 million in BSOG, plus the money to pay for the muppet cards. So that is at least a billion a year in subsidies. The idiot campaigning for the BSOG being axed wants the money to be put from that into 2 crappy High Speed rail links to the capital and cross country. sorry, that only benefits a few rich folk, not millions of people who rely on public transport. All it would do is probably shove another 100,000 or so people on the dole, which would cost a small fortune in benefits. Hopefully the Tories will soon see sense and axe the nationwide free muppet scheme.

Get rid of Muppet cards and make OAP's pay ( even a child fare is better than bugger all ). Some take the piss going into town 5-6 times a day or going 1 stop up the hill, That has to stop cant be sustainable and company's build around it knowing it can be taken away which amazes me.

Laughably, a lot of these muppets have cars too on higher rate mobility allowance. This includes the car, servicing and road tax. All they have to pay for is the insurance and fuel. The car is also replaced every 3 years!

The high speed rail link is a silly idea, since one high speed line is no good, if the rest of the transport network is rubbish. The whole railway needs investment because it is all a mess across the board.

Why not lower the fares but, have the same fare for adults, oaps and children.

When is the dda deadline btw?

2012 I believe

Wish the companies would get the together,could it maybe getting scrapped eventually as i got a bit excited 2 day when the afternoon news mentioned the muppets cards but unfortunately it was just telling us that there rushing through the age limit from 60 to 65 2 get their cards.A billion a year 2 pay for this piss take of a system when people are losing thier jobs or having 2 take a pay freeze,its not right about time this Goverment had the balls 2 do what they really want 2 do and scrap the fecking thing.

It is a step in the right direction, but they need to grasp the nettle with both hands. Axe the passes, and jobs will be saved. the more people in work means more income for the government in taxes, and less paying out in benefits. Its not bloody rocket science!

Bristol LH wrote:Laughably, a lot of these muppets have cars too on higher rate mobility allowance. This includes the car, servicing and road tax. All they have to pay for is the insurance and fuel. The car is also replaced every 3 years!

Unless its changed recently all you pay for with a mobility car is the fuel, the insurance is included

Bristol LH wrote:2012 I believe

Noooo! That means a nail in the coffin for all the lovely Olympians and other classic stepped entry vehicles I still see about occasionally!

In theory a Olympian could be kitted out with a wheelchair lift and space, making it accessible. It'd be cheaper than a 2nd hand Trident/B7TL anyway!

umkay wrote:

Bristol LH wrote:2012 I believe

Noooo! That means a nail in the coffin for all the lovely Olympians and other classic stepped entry vehicles I still see about occasionally!

It'll be a shame, especially with vehicles like the volvo olympian which is actually a nice bus and not that old also.

I just hope wright bus gets orders and not somebody else, since as much as I dislike wright bus for replacing all of the great buses in Huddersfield, their buses are the best out of the modern stuff. Not optare pleeeaase, after going for a ride on a tempo and an olympus never again.