Call for free all day pensioners bus pass travel is backed by Bolton

The scheme has been trialled twice in Greater Manchester but restrictions limiting free travel to between 9.30am and midnight came back into force on Monday December 1.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Nick Peel has said he supports brining back free travel at peak times permanently.

Cllr Peel said: “In the mid-2000s the Labour government introduced free travel for pensioners and disabled people, but it was not valid before 9.30am, Monday to Friday.

“There was a rationale for that at the time, which was the busses could have been overburdened and so on, so I can see the logic at the time.

Pensioners in Bolton have also called for free peak time travel to be brought back (Image: Newsquest)

“But we’ve been doing a trial of in Greater Manchester and the results of that have been really quite successful.”

He added: “I’m of firm opinion that if these means busses get too full between 8am and 9.30am then the solution to that is more busses.”

Cllr Peel said he would like to see free travel brought back as soon as possible as an “early Christmas present”.

A recent viral post by Cllr Peel on social media asking the public if they would support this gained more than 500,000 views and hundreds of responses.

Cllr Peel said: “Clearly, it’s been shared around campaign groups and 90 odd per cent of the comments have been supportive.

“The biggest reason that people are likely to be supportive if because of hospital appointments, GP appointments and caring responsibilities.”

Cllr Peel says that he is speaking to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Transport for Greater Manchester on the matter.

The Bolton and District Pensioners Association, which campaigns for older people across the borough and beyond, has also called for free travel to be made permanent.

The association says that removing time restrictions would make the system fairer and would help promote more independence for older people and disabled people.

In a letter to Cllr Peel, they have said the evidence from the two trials is enough to support reintroducing the scheme.

Association chair Alan Johnson said: “While people may be able to choose when they shop, they have no control over the timing of GP or hospital appointments.

“Older and disabled residents should not be penalised for needing to travel during peak hours.

“If demand is high at certain times, the solution is to increase capacity, not restrict access.”