Over-60s free travel costs taxpayers three times as much as fare dodgers

24 comments

1. They really want to push this “hate the old” agenda don’t they?

   I’d rather pay a bit more tax than have  more old people behind the wheel. 

   Means test it. 

2. You don’t want old people stuck in their homes and free travel can help keep independence but it does feel a bit ridiculous when I’m out with my retried parents and they aren’t having to pay for travel when their disposable income after housing costs is something like ten times mine

3. Yeah we’re pretty much used to the gerontocracy fucking us over.

4. I don’t really mind this but it should atleast be retirees only and only for off-peak travel. (which retirees would hopefully be able to do if they aren’t working)

5. I’m fine with pensioners having free travel.

   If the rail organisations and police would do their jobs, that’d be great ta

6. Stop fare Dodgers and restrict free travel to those that get winter payments.

7. I for one don’t mind. we’ll all be old one day and I feel ive earned a bit of this

8. Public transport should be free for all paid for by increased fuel duty.

9. An ever increasing triple locked OAP, free travel, free prescriptions, free tv licenses, free eye tests, free dental checkups (if they can get an appointment), discounts on all sorts of shit…

   You want to know where all the tax money is evaporating, ask the silver surfers.

   Meanwhile, by the time the rest of us get to retirement age the doors of entitlement will be firmly locked and bolted and a bankrupsy notice will have been hung on the door ensuring we get fuck all.

10. So they pull the ladder up after them with their cheap homes and triple lock pensions, and we still have to pay their bus fares?

    We would rather kill off our disabled to protect their pensions too?

    This is some multi-tier society we live in. Special clubs everywhere.

11. 100% in support of pensioners having free travel although truthfully wouldn’t be opposed to raising the age from 60 to 65, at least for those fit and healthy and in employment.

    My dad for example (age 60) works full time on a comfortable salary with no mortgage, has his own car (plus a company car!) but brags about using his bus pass on the weekends as it’s free.

12. Meanwhile in the universe where Boris “let the bodies pile high” we’re all living in a low tax paradise with well paved roads and functioning public services.

13. London residents get free travel over 60. Most other areas it is pension age (66-67)

14. Natural causes kills way more people than murderers so why does everyone make such a bit deal out of murdering ?

    One is a social programme designed to help people in later stages of life. The other is a crime. How are you comparing the two ?

15. I mean yeah…I put money to pay for over 60’s free transport, fare dodging costs nothing. Like my taxes dont go on to pay for those people’s tickets, they never got one. Id rather most public transport be free at the point of use for everyone anyway.

16. The issue here, surprisingly, isn’t the free travel, it’s the travel pass. We pay for pensioner travel like we pay for a weekly pass when we should be paying on a per journey basis, with a discount. That way we only pay for those that use it.

17. I mean I think it should be down to how much income the elderly people have as to whether they get free travel to help em out.

18. This is a London story

    The rest of the UK have to wait for state pension age to get their bus pass.

19. Why are we comparing a service to a crime? This is incredibly stupid from the telegraph

20. Don’t fall for this attempt to fuel a war between generations.

    Public transport would run regardless so it is a very cost effective program… if anything privatising a number of routes is what costs taxpayers money because the government and private companies have agreements where government funding is conceded to private transport companies that have very opaque financial reports.

    Don’t fall for this propagandistic news pieces, they aim to turn people against each other and then the private companies come out looking like the heroes of the day by saying ‘We want to continue serving the people of the UK’ when in fact they get more revenue with the government funding rather than with people over 60 having to pay for the transport themselves because they wouldn’t be able to afford it.

21. Such schemes are typically there to help people with lower income, e.g. due to being retired, being a student etc. Oddly enough, this intention is never applied when it comes to the average adult who is poor, but somehow rich young and old people are allowed to benefit regardless.

22. The blanket awarding of benefits to older people is wrong.

    I get my over 60s travel in 3 1/2 years.

    I am still very much working. While I’d like it, I dont need it.

    Wait till people retire.

23. And the telegraph reading billionaires that want the mob to go after others rather their offshore loot, if they paid their fair share, we could all travel by public transport for free.

24. Two problems to sort out then really.

    Hell just charge over-60’s, £1 per journey. Easily affordable, and a lot right now are £2.50-£3 anyway for adults.

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