It’s a lifeline, not a luxury

The Transport and Environment report, December 15, 2022, approved by the Corporate Director of Public Transport, was submitted to the Transport and Environment Board for their consideration and decision.

The report asserted that an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) had been undertaken regarding the positive impact that free rail travel would have on older people (ENCTS pass holders) and that, it was for Members of the Board to determine the weight given to the various factors put forward in the paper, including the financial implications of the various options presented.

We wish to raise the following concerns:

* As it is, there is no way of knowing whether the EIA on older people (ENCTS pass holders) was discussed by Members of the Board with due regard and diligence, because members of the public were not allowed to be present at this meeting.

* We, the electorate, don’t know the arguments developed in giving more weight to the financial implications, as reflected on the conclusions and decisions made by the Board.

* An EIA was not undertaken on the impact of their decisions on women ENCTS pass holders, as per report. We do not understand this omission. This is a blatant error since that, on the main, women are poorer than men (their pension being of less monetary value than those of the men); women are the main carers and use public transport (visiting family members, friends in different hospitals in the region, as well as child minding children who live in other places). This is compounded by the fact that women live longer. In general, their income is lower, and therefore the cost of rail travel affects them greatly.

* The unequal impact, that currently, the present scheme has on ENCTS pass holders: Some older people can afford to pay half of the rail fare, while others can not. This is reflected in the relatively low number of older people who travel by rail using their pass.

* Older people in South Yorkshire have unequal transport facilities and accessibility to rail travel in comparison to older people in other regions of the country, where pass holders pay a small annual fee.

* The issue of ‘levelling up’ was not considered either. High levels of poverty and lower opportunities for older people in South Yorkshire, compared with other parts of the country, were not raised in the report paper.

* Finally, and a very important point, is the impact that their considerations and decisions have on the environment. Needless to stress the negative impact that an increase in the use of more cars have on the health and long- term survival of human beings. The arguments for a good transport service, accessible and affordable are very well rehearsed by various environmentalists and interested parties.

Given the above, we ask the decision makers to:

* Respond to us, addressing the above concerns.

* It would also be very much appreciated, if a written record of the discussions and deliberations, leading to the decisions made: a) to not restore the full rail concession for ENCTS pass holders and b) to review this decision in six months’ time, was presented to us, as soon as possible.

Abigail Wood, chief executive of Age UK London, referring to the suspension of free travel before 9am, for people older than 60 years, said: “Affordable Transport is a lifeline, not a luxury, and this cut penalises them with no choice about when and how they travel.

“This comes at the worst possible time as the cost of living crisis worsens and more and more older Londoners are plunged into poverty”...We wonder what Abigail would say, if she knew that in South Yorkshire, older people aged 66 and more, can not free travel by rail, even after 9am!!

Janet Williams, Sue Wild, Carrie Hedderwick, Keith Hopkins, Luisa Fletcher

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