Why are those with free travel allowed to use it during rush hour?

Brendan Burgess

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I don't really understand how this is even being discussed, so what am I missing?

OAPs have a free travel pass. I support it fully. It's a great idea and I know lots of people who use it extensively.

But they should not be allowed to use it during peak times. They can plan their journeys to travel at other times. Workers have no choice but to travel at rush hour.

And, of course, OAPs are not banned from traveling whenever they want. They would just have to pay for it during rush hour.

Didn't this used to be the case?

Brendan
 
And I also see that it can't be used on the Dublin Bus Nitelink services or the Dublin Bus Airport Services.

But I think that it can be used on Aircoach?

Brendan
 
The genie is out of the bottle here. No Govt takes anything off of OAP's. So when FF allowed unrestricted travel as a vote buying exercise back in 2006, that was case closed.
I don't know why someone like Robert Watt would even bring this up as his political masters will not touch it with a barge pole. But calls for him to resign/be fired are over the top nonsense/hype of the worst kind.
 
This is just a drop in the ocean when viewed in the context of the handouts OAP's get.
I'd rather see the removal of the over 70's medical card and the extra tax free allowances they get.
 
Hi Purple

I fully support allowing free travel for OAPs. I think it's very liberating and a great idea.

But it's a question of the pressure it puts on travel at peak times. If there are OAPs going out for a jaunt on buses which are full which have to leave workers behind, then I would support restrictions.

Of course, if the data show that there are very few OAPs on buses at peak times, then there would be no need for such a change.

Brendan
 
Hi Brendan,

I also vaguely recall that the travel pass for OAPs was extended slight back years ago in the morning. The reason? It was to allow use by people to get them to mass on time! Who brought it in? Mr. C.J. Haughey!

Also am I right in thinking along with free travel itself can't an OAP bring along someone with them for free too? Not overly pushed on this in case of securing access, but one would wonder about the possibility of abuse. Having said that, I don't know what the take up level is though.

Overall, no real difficulty with the point that you are making. However, if an OAP needed access at peak times to get to a medical appointment say, then again I wouldn't see that as an issue.

Best,

Opus2018.
 
Opus2018 said:
can't an OAP bring along someone with them for free too?
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An OAP may bring their designated spouse or partner.

A disabled person may bring someone else with them for free - they don't have to be designated.

"a specified carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance from this Department (you may get a single status card only, if you are under age 66)"
 
One of the issues is that many hospital appointments would necessitate peak-hour travel.

The main issue though is the fact that only 50% of free-travel card holders are OAPs, the rest are on disability and for other reasons.

Anyway they should be to ascertain from the PSC LEAP-enabled cards how much of an issue it actually is.
 
Now that we have LEAP enabled cards, it should be possible to assign the benefits at a more granular level e.g. OAPs and other pass holders with a limited credit amount which can be used during rush hour, automatically topped up per month; but unlimited at other times.
 
You could only do that when the entire PT system is LEAP enabled, don't think that's the case yet. Not going to fly anyway.
 
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.
 
I suspect whoever brought this up in the first place lack common since I suspect most card holders avoid rush hour unless the need to travel at that time, there are lots of people making a good living out of providing services to people using the free travel card,
I payed into the Prsi fund all of my life (47 years) seeing over 19% taken in payroll PRSI in the 1980 until the usc came in around 2010 when it dropped to 14.75%

I suspect you have forgotten the people now retired taxed under PAYE on low wages payed very high taxes most of there life
When you get a chance check it out for your self,

Socialist love Capitalist gone wrong who see nothing wrong with taken more from the people who paid into the system all of there life so it can be Squandered I think it is lack of common since that causes it,

I often wonder Is it people who got away without paying there way in the first place who have a problem understanding and are unhappy and think they are more important than other people for lots of reasons and the travel pass ts there flavor of the month at present,
 
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Hi Darth

The free travel for the elderly is not allowed during rush hours in most other jurisdictions which have free travel.

Some restrict it for the elderly, but have no restrictions for those with a disability.

If a disabled person or elderly person is working and they want to take public transport to work, then they can afford to pay for it.

The point made by Robert Watt was that we should have a discussion on the issue. It's about the best way to use a congested infrastructure.

Brendan
 
RETIRED2017 said:
I suspect you have forgotten the people now retired taxed under PAYE on low wages payed very high taxes most of there life
When you get a chance check it out for your self,
Click to expand...

Hi Retired

We have a €200 billion national debt as our legacy.

We have €200 billion more of unfunded pension liabilities.

The amount paid in tax and PRSI was not enough to fund the very high pensions and benefits paid in Ireland.

Brendan
 


Thank you for taking the time to reply, Brendan.

Think we'll always differ on this one.

The 'Other Juristrictions' argument doesn't wash with me. I live, and function, and deal with the cost of living in this juristriction. To me, it falls into the 'If he sticks his hand in the fire will you?', argument.

Many disabled people have not had the educational, and career opportunities that non-disabled people have. Supports like SNAs, access to scribes, etc. have only happened recently. As a result, many, many people can only do the most 'menial' or unskilled jobs, and so are on very low incomes. As there are vastly increased costs involved with being disabled, they may well be really struggling. So no, they may not 'be able to afford it'.

Yes, we should discuss the congestion issue, but not at the expense of scapegoating disabled people. And for many reasons, those people who are disabled often have to travel at peak times, too!.

Darth.
 
This is where you have it all wrong and where common since comes in I know about the 200 billion I know about the unfunded pension As I said above it is people who think stopping the bus pass will sort it who are causing the problem ,
When you get a chance have a look at your posts and others on the USC where you and others were trying to get it done away with it looked like it was yours and others first time to have to pay it on all of your income you did appear to know I and all PRSI A1 paid a USC surcharge all of our life and when it was extender to others you were up in arms about it,

When you look at how much extra it brought in you can see how many free loaders there are I think it is time to get off the back of people who payed a very high surcharge all of there working life ,

If everyone paid the same surcharge leveled on the PRSI A1 taxpayer and there employer they would not be feeling hard done by the USC,I have paid my way forget about looking at the bus pass and start looking at why the USC brought in so much extra revinue,
 
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