"Paul Terry" wrote:

Chris Read wrote:

Allowing pensioners who live in £500k houses, with £100k plus in
the bank, totally free travel, whilst charging full rate to a supermarket
worker on £6 an hour, is an interesting take on social justice. But there
is
no political will to challenge the status quo here.

Politicians also have to remember the environmental issue: pensioners in
that position have cars, which many would undoubtedly use if free travel
was withdrawn, thus adding to congestion and pollution.

I'm not necessarily suggesting that pensioners are charged full fare. I
would favour a flat rate of 50p or £1 per journey.

I don't buy the supposed environmental case, that people who have a choice
of modes will use public transport only if it's *completely* free.

There aren't, and never have been, valid social justice or environmental
arguments to support free bus travel for all pensioners. It was purely a
matter of poltical calculation. In fact, on grounds of both social justice
and environmental protection, the arguments for free bus travel for
teenagers are much stronger, although in my view not strong enough.

Chris