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

Why is it? . . . . . . When we are ahead of the rest of the world regarding some services to our elderly there's always somebody who throws a spanner in the works like this thread. I spent the majority of my life working for the Public Service trying to prevent whatever I could prevent (my own title, self inflicted Clerical Prevention Officer).

It's no big deal to allow our elderly travel free on the goddamn buses and trains. Why put obstacles in their way?

Exasperated . . . . I flippin' well give up!
 
Leper said:
Why is it? . . . . . . When we are ahead of the rest of the world regarding some services to our elderly there's always somebody who throws a spanner in the works like this thread. I spent the majority of my life working for the Public Service trying to prevent whatever I could prevent (my own title, self inflicted Clerical Prevention Officer).

It's no big deal to allow our elderly travel free on the goddamn buses and trains. Why put obstacles in their way?

Exasperated . . . . I flippin' well give up!
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Not as exasperated as the people sweating on packed DARTs and buses in summer, or left standing in the rain at the bus stop as a full bus flies by in winter.

The real obstacle is that there aren't enough buses and trains and trams to meet peak rush hour demand.

It's like rolling out free GP care to the under 6s without taking steps to have more GPs to support it.

Maybe other countries don't over promise and actually deliver the services to meet the demand?
 
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With the caveat that I only use public transport if I’m heading out after work, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an OAP at rush hour; I suspect that this is a non-issue. Why on earth would people who can generally choose what time to travel at choose the worst possible time to travel at?
 
Gordon Gekko said:
With the caveat that I only use public transport if I’m heading out after work, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an OAP at rush hour; I suspect that this is a non-issue. Why on earth would people who can generally choose what time to travel at choose the worst possible time to travel at?
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why on earth would people who are in favor of the 40% tax break costing around one billion be trying to do away with it, The free pass is the thin end of the wedge

Some who depended on others to clean there bum when they were not able to resent them using the free pass

A rush hour bus /train could be a train or bus service travelling up from the commuter belt it may only be half full it is possible you could get people with a free pass travelling on it there may not be another bus or train for another few hour's and the need to get to Dublin for an appointment these are the only people you would be stopping travelling or having to pay again to travel on a half full bus it must be very easy to pass exam's year's ago;)

tax payers have already paid for them travelling ,
 
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RETIRED2017 said:
as I already said Having paid PRSI for 47 years I don't need people who Begrudge me using the free pass having paid PRSI A1 for 47 years with only a five month break back around 1984 I am not a freeloader
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I've already pointed out to you that you paid PRSI for those who were retired at the time, not to fund your retirement. I've also pointed out that your contributions came nowhere near covering the cost of your pension.
I have no problem with the State giving handouts to people who cannot provide for themselves. I do have a problem with people regarding those handouts as a right rather than a privilege and I do have a problem with the State giving welfare to people who don't need it. That includes, but is not limited to, medical cards for all under 6's and over 70's, free third level education and children's allowance. If you can provide those things for yourself (or your children in the case of education) then the State should not be providing it for you. They should be keeping that money and spending more on those who really need it.
The sense of entitlement from some pensioners in this thread is staggering.
 
Eithneangela said:
The problem is really only in major urban centers and I think it reflects the balance between the advantages of city living versus the lack of many public services in rural areas.
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It also reflects the difference in price of housing between rural and urban areas. As things stand the spend per person on public services in rural areas is far higher than the spend per person in urban areas. That is reflected, in part, by the much lower cost of living in rural areas since you are being subsidised by your urban friends and relatives.
 
I picked up my free travel pass last February. I have only used it a few times. I have a car and my wife has a car. I would only use it where I have to travel in to the city centre where the cost of parking is very high.
I would not use it at rush hour because I have no reason to. I may use it on the train for a day trip to somewhere this summer but that's about it.
I am an early riser but since I am retired I like to have an early breakfast followed by another mini one an hour or so later, then I start moving at about 10.a.m.
 
In the unlikely event of remaining , as Bob Dylan would have it , forever young I would hope to live long enough to pick up the free travel pass in a couple of years & be thankful to a Country that confers such a boon on pensioners .
I regularly travel at peak times despite the fact that I haven’t worked in over ten years having availed of early retirement as I have many social engagements & I would hope to continue to travel as heretofore on the free pass as & when I want & the fact that this may discommode other commuters really doesn’t bother me - we all have our own lives to live .
 
Deiseblue said:
In the unlikely event of remaining , as Bob Dylan would have it , forever young I would hope to live long enough to pick up the free travel pass in a couple of years & be thankful to a Country that confers such a boon on pensioners .
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I have a problem with the State giving welfare and handouts to those who don't need it while those that really do need help could do with more. To each according to their needs and all that. In the sccheme of things free travel is a drop in the ocean but it is indicative of the culture of entitlement in this country from all sectors of society.
 
Robert Watt does get the bus to work from the north side to work and I was once on a full bus that drove past his stop, but I don't recall there being any pensioners on the bus or any morning rush hour bus to be honest.

When I go home to Munster, it alarming at how many young able-bodied people seem to have bus passes, presumably on disability grounds. I don't mean to stereotype but I sometimes get a bus that travels through a council estate where there is not a single paying passenger.
 
Purple said:
I've already pointed out to you that you paid PRSI for those who were retired at the time, not to fund your retirement. I've also pointed out that your contributions came nowhere near covering the cost of your pension.
I have no problem with the State giving handouts to people who cannot provide for themselves. I do have a problem with people regarding those handouts as a right rather than a privilege and I do have a problem with the State giving welfare to people who don't need it. That includes, but is not limited to, medical cards for all under 6's and over 70's, free third level education and children's allowance. If you can provide those things for yourself (or your children in the case of education) then the State should not be providing it for you. They should be keeping that money and spending more on those who really need it.
The sense of entitlement from some pensioners in this thread is staggering.
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Around 18.5 % in total was taken in PRSI from payroll along with very high taxes lots would have finished up being spent on your good self now it is my turn ,Eaten bread is soon forgotten,
I am glad it was spent on you don't feel so bad about paying back a little,:D
 
RETIRED2017 said:
Around 18.5 % in total was taken in PRSI from payroll along with very high taxes lots would have finished up being spent on your good self now it is my turn ,Eaten bread is soon forgotten,
I am glad it was spent on you don't feel so bad about paying back a little,:D
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I'm sure that some of it was spent on me but if so then it wasn't spent on your pension and my taxes in turn are being spent on the next generation.
Given that I've been working full time since I was 17 and part time (paying PRSI and PAYE) since I was 14 and I've never claimed welfare or any other benefit I don't think you spent too much on me.
.
The employers PRSI is a tax on the employer. Employees PRSI is a tax on the employee. The hint is in the name. If you think about it you'll see it.
 
Niall, a lot of those able bodied could have it because they are getting carers allowance for someone as well as the possibility that they are on a disability payment themselves. The carer is entitled to a free travel pass and can use it at any stage without travelling with the person being cared for.

To be honest I think that one should be curtailed a bit to where the pass is actually only for use in connection with the cared for person but I suppose that's another one that is impossible to implement.

My father is 87 and has never once availed of free travel as living in the country with an area that has one bus service per week it is of no use to him really. He can no longer drive but it still is of no use if he wanted to get to doctors or hospital appointments.
 
Monbretia said:
The carer is entitled to a free travel pass and can use it at any stage without travelling with the person being cared for.
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That's crazy.

Monbretia said:
To be honest I think that one should be curtailed a bit to where the pass is actually only for use in connection with the cared for person but I suppose that's another one that is impossible to implement.
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Absolutely.
 
Only about 50% of those with free travel passes are OAPs, so all this talk about OAPs is missing the point that we now have over 900,000 free travel pass holders. The money being paid out to the transport companies has stayed the same as it was when 500,000 people had free travel passes.
So when people talk about not seeing OAP at rush-hour that's not the issue it's all the other holders travelling at that time that are increasing demand on an under-funded service.
 
Monbretia , am I right in thinking that only those carers for certain categories can avail of free travel when traveling alone ?
Those in receipt of elther short or long term constant attendance allowance as a result of industrial related injuries can facilitate free travel for their carers but the majority of carers cannot access solo free travel
 
On reading the above I see there's a good lot of elderly people who are not able to avail of free travel because of the place they're living and other reasons. I feel it's time they were now given a certain amount of cash each month to make up for this. Standards need to be maintained and why should the people with big salaries and other workers be the only ones able to enjoy themselves? It's quite obvious from reading this forum that they will never get old or any other silly human related problems. OAP's should rise up and fight this. Oh, I forgot they can't rise up, bone and arthritic problems, etc. I propose the unemployed rise up and fight for those that cannot.:rolleyes:
 
noproblem said:
On reading the above I see there's a good lot of elderly people who are not
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noproblem said:
On reading the above I see there's a good lot of elderly people who are not able to avail of free travel because of the place they're living and other reasons. I feel it's time they were now given a certain amount of cash each month to make up for this. Standards need to be maintained and why should the people with big salaries and other workers be the only ones able to enjoy themselves? It's quite obvious from reading this forum that they will never get old or any other silly human related problems. OAP's should rise up and fight this. Oh, I forgot they can't rise up, bone and arthritic problems, etc. I propose the unemployed rise up and fight for those that cannot.:rolleyes:
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For a Minute I thought you were going to say from reading the above there are some who would Qualify they just need to apply ,o_O
 
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Deiseblue said:
Monbretia , am I right in thinking that only those carers for certain categories can avail of free travel when traveling alone ?
Those in receipt of elther short or long term constant attendance allowance as a result of industrial related injuries can facilitate free travel for their carers but the majority of carers cannot access solo free travel
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I couldn't swear to it that all on carer's allowance are entitled to it but that was my understanding as I actually queried the trainer on it during a training course as it sounded like madness to me!

This from welfare also makes it look like getting carers allowance is one of the qualifying criteria -

3.2 ELIGIBILITY FOR FREE TRAVEL?
An applicant will qualify for Free Travel, if s/he is legally resident and living permanently in the State (i.e. on an all-year-round basis) and is aged 66 or over and has completed the SAFE registration process. If the applicant is under age 66, in addition to permanentlyresiding in the State and is registered for the Public Services Card, s/he must satisfy any of the conditions below;

  1. be a recipient of one of the following payments;
    • Invalidity Pension
    • Blind Person's Pension
    • Disability Allowance (DA)
    • Carer's Allowance (you may get a single status card only, if you are aged under 66)
 
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