Norfolk County Council bosses hope to convince the government to plug a funding gap on concessionary bus fares.
Norfolk County Council in final push to convince government to plug £4.5m bus fares funding gap
BY DAN GRIMMER
Saturday, February 11, 2012
4:09 PM
County council bosses have made a final appeal to the Norfolk public to help make the case for the government to plug a £4.5m funding gap created by concessionary bus fares.
Leaders from Norfolk County Council will head to Downing Street next week to present a petition to transport minister Norman Baker.
The petition was launched last September because of a £4.5m shortfall in what the government gives the council to cover the cost of concessionary travel and what the council has to pay operators .Thousands of people have signed the online petition at www.norfolk.gov.uk/fairfares and more have signed petition sheets when the campaign has headed out on to the streets.
Councillors have decided to keep it running for a little longer to try to push the tally over 25,000.
Graham Plant, cabinet member for planning and transportation at County Hall, said: “Every extra name adds to our cause, so I hope anyone who hasn’t already signed will do so.
“We will tell the minister that while Norfolk people strongly support concessionary travel, they don’t think it’s fair that the county should be having to finds ways of meeting a £4.5m shortfall in what is supposed to be a nationally funded scheme.”
People will get a chance to sign the petition at King’s Lynn Tuesday Market. from 10am to 2pm tomorrow. and Great Yarmouth Marketplace, from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday.
dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk
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9 comments
when i retire--aged 75plus---there won't be any "free"passes. someone should tell OAPS that the passes are paid for on council tax--no such thing as a free ride.
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bookworm
Saturday, February 11, 2012
OAPS of course. the pension should rise and the passes should cease.Then pensioners could choose to spend their own money whether that would be on buses or not.
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bookworm
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Bookworm: Which particular groups do you have in mind? As someone who pays taxes of different types I do not consider it a free pass, I am contributing towards the cost of it.
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nicholas dasey
Saturday, February 11, 2012
how generous u lot sound. i think free passes for certain groups of people should be stopped.it makes moral and economic sense.I pay full fares and begrudge every penny.
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bookworm
Saturday, February 11, 2012
I have paid full fare since 1965 and taxes since 1966 and I work as well. Why begrudge someone getting something you haven't got. I have spent years payiing for things for other people but I am not complaining about it. It's how life goes, we (should) help others.
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nicholas dasey
Saturday, February 11, 2012
25,000 signatories? Pathetic - we got over 65,000 here in the west and they still took no notice of us...... good old Murphy.
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Fenscape
Saturday, February 11, 2012
You can bet that we'll be over-run by NCC Tories as they fall over themselves to do their master's bidding. At 45p a mile in their own car - natch!
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Fenscape
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Who do NCC expect to sign the petition? Do you want those of us to sign it, who have to pay the full fare to the driver, who work all day and pay all our taxes, will I get a free ride?.....Jog on !
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Bruce87
Saturday, February 11, 2012
bet the 4.5m wont be spent on buses even if it is given to us ! theyve cut the buses now so will have a surplus ... it'll go on an incinerator instead
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Double Bill
Saturday, February 11, 2012