Free bus travel review

Scottish Labour hasn’t wasted the opportunity of remembering the old song, and hinted that Alex Salmond could go down in history as the first minister who “shoved Scotland’s grannies off the bus”.

The free bus scheme for pensioners and disabled passengers began in 2006, and is now to be reviewed by the Scottish Government, with operators having already been told that fare reimbursement is to be capped.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has said funding was to be increased, despite the review, and that in future, changes would mean less people would be eligible.

Labour’s environment spokesman, Des McNulty, told BBC Radio Scotland that the situation had arisen because the Scottish Government had not put enough money into the scheme, “We feel that concessionary travel is the biggest thing that devolution has delivered to the people of Scotland, in particular the pensioners. The retention of that scheme in its present form is a priority. Whatever restrictions are imposed will take away from its value.”

Looks like if you might just have to get older faster of you want to be sure of getting that free bus pass.

Seems to be a rerun of the free personal care for the elderly, where there will be increasing criteria to knock people out of the scheme to avoid growing numbers and increased costs.