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Deputy Lester Queripel said he is “shocked and disappointed” with proposed changes to over 65 bus travel, after E&I announced that pensioners might not be able to use the service for free before 09:30.
Environment and Infrastructure said there is such a high demand for peak time bus travel, coupled with a need to bring more money in using the bus service, that it's suggesting passengers over 65 years old can only use their free passes after the weekday morning 'rush hour' is over.
Over 65s would still be able to use their passes at all times for free travel over Saturday, Sundays and Bank Holidays except for the night bus service which is the current situation.
The suggestion hasn’t been taken well by Deputy Queripel, who has argued that the proposal ‘targets’ pensioners.
“I very much appreciate E&I are seeking to make ‘savings’ but surely ‘targeting’ pensioners in this manner raises concerns about segregation and discrimination,” he said.
“It does in my view. However, I want to emphasise that I’m not saying for a second that that is what E&I are attempting to do.
“However, what pensioners appear to be being told, via these proposed changes, is that there are people far more important than them, who need to travel on a bus up until 09:30.”
Pictured: Deputy Queripel is concerned that changes to over 65 bus travel will become a “major inconvenience”.
“What about if they need to attend a medical appointment or visit a relation or friend ‘in distress’, or simply ‘need to be somewhere’, for whatever reason, perhaps to take care of their grandchildren for example, before 09:30? Life is difficult enough, and confusing enough, for some of our pensioners already and this surely will only add to their confusion and become a major inconvenience,” continued Deputy Queripel.
“It seems to me as though pensioners are once again being told by a committee of their own government, that they are an inconvenience.”
The suggestion of changes to over 65 travel was announced alongside several proposed changes to prices as well:
Deputy Queripel said ‘excluding’ pensioners to make up a shortfall in income doesn’t make sense.
"All that needs to be done is to increase the fare to a realistic amount. Increasing bus fares from £1.25 to £1.50 is NOT a realistic amount in my view.
“The fares should be increased from £1.25 to £2.25, that’s what I call a realistic amount. Therefore with that in mind, I urge my colleagues on E&I to review their approach.”
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