This idea that people who have free travel have no need to travel at peak times is absolute bull, if you'll pardon the expression.
There was a restriction before 2006, but people with disabilities have been 'getting out there' more in recent years, and making a significant contribution to our communities through working, volunteering, and educating ourselves. It's important that we can do all the things we need to do when we need to do it, not when it suits someone else for us to do so. Also, when the economy was booming, there was a need for the fitter, stronger older people to 'don the green jersey' and take on lots of jobs that needed to be done, but couldn't be filled. Lots of people worked way beyond age 65, and continue to do so. There are a lot of grandparents who are unpaid/low paid childminders, allowing parents to go to work. They often need to travel to and from the children they care for.
There are people with disabilities who attend college, rehab centres, volunteer placements, and work, yes, work... Lots of people with FTPs ARE working!. Some in part time Rehabilitative roles, some full time, some volunteering, but mostly on low incomes if they still have Free Travel.
I haven't even mentioned hospital, dentist, chiropodists, doctors appointments etc. We have no control over clinic times. Then there are a lot of us who have significant disabilities, and myself included, who function much better early in the morning. I tend to do all of the things I need to do to function around early peak times. Things like shopping, getting prescriptions, going to the library, etc.
And that doesn't include carers who don't/can't live with the person they care for. They have FT to enable them to travel to and from the person they care for, and allow them to do shopping, and other errands etc. for the person they care for. Tell the person being cared for that they have to wait until after peak times to get out of bed, to shower, to eat, and drink, not to mention use the toilet!. Will you wait until off peak to have your first toilet visit of the day?.
So no, I don't support off peak only travel. Surprisingly, disabled people like to have lives, too. Oh, and the suggestion of paying fares on-peak, remember, living with a disability is far more expensive, so FT is a very small contribution to those additional costs.
Darth.