Heather Kidd is making another effort to improve the lot of elderly and disabled travellers using public transport along the border.
Heather said: Concessionary bus pass holders have had a real issue along the border with Wales since the pass introduction around 15 years ago. People can travel into Wales to use vital services and return for free. They cannot change buses. If they need to walk or drive to Churchstoke (in Wales – for some that’s a matter of less than a mile) to catch a bus to Newtown to visit a dentist or for an appointment at Newtown or Welshpool hospital then their pass is not valid. This is also true in the Oswestry area where people need to access services in Chester and have to change buses in Wrexham. The pensioner or vulnerable then have to pay the full price both ways.”
Heather asked a question at Thursday’s meeting of Shropshire Council to ask the Council to work urgently to put in place a local agreement with Powys where local travel in each direction may well end up being cost neutral for both authorities. The portfolio Holder is asking officers to progress this now.
“I will also be asking the Churchstoke Lib Dem Councillor, Danny Bebb, to get this moving on his side of the border. There’s never been a better time for cross-border working. ” added Heather.
“Although pensioners and the disabled can travel across the border into Wales, they can only do so on certain bus services and passengers can’t change buses. Together with Colleagues in Powys and the rest of Shropshire. We need to find ways to end these petty restrictions so that residents on both sides of the border can travel unhindered.
“This would both be an environmentally friendly move keeping people out of cars, save money for those facing huge hikes in costs and reduce the expensive problem of using taxis in some cases. It would also encourage the use of buses.”