Londoners face threat to their Freedom

Val Shawcross GLA Assembly Member at Vauxhall Cross bus station

The jewel in London’s transport crown – the Freedom Pass – has come under attack by a coalition of Tories and Liberal Democrats.

The Freedom Pass, a lifeline for thousands of Londoners, allows people over 60 to travel free on London’s buses after 9am and on London’s tubes and DLR after 9.30am – and to travel at any time at weekends. It also provides for free travel at any time for all disabled people.

But now the Tory-run London Councils and a LibDem peer – Lord Bradshaw – are attempting to amend the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill now going through parliament to take away the Mayor of London’s ability to safeguard the funding and scope of the Freedom Pass.

Speaking to a group of pensioners in her constituency, Labour Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark Valerie Shawcross said: “How dare the Tories and LibDems on London Councils and the House of Lords use the legislation being brought forward by the government to bring free bus travel to the rest of the country as an opportunity to attack London’s magnificent free travel scheme.”
Legislation going through parliament provides for a national bus concession that would operate from 9.30am until 11pm. If the Mayor’s powers to guarantee London’s free travel were withdrawn, local councils could seek to cut or reduce the scheme.
At the moment Transport for London and the London Boroughs agree the cost of the scheme but legislation provides a reserve scheme that acts as an incentive to TfL and the Boroughs to agree costs each year. Val added: “With the loss of such a scheme London Boroughs could water down the provision leaving London’s more vulnerable people with less buses and no tube”