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Unemployed To Get Free Bus travel in UK to find work.

  • 10-12-2012 12:00pm
    #1
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭


    This seems like a very good idea, l wonder would they do the same in Ireland. :D

    Bus companies have come together to offer free travel to the unemployed as part of a Government-backed scheme to help people find work.

    Some 800,000 people across Britain who have been without a job for between three months to a year will be eligible to claim for a card, giving them free bus rides in January.

    The JobCentre Plus Travel Discount Card already entitles them to half-price journeys.

    Arriva, First, Go-Ahead, National Express and Stagecoach are among the operators signed up to the deal, which covers 70% of routes in England, Wales and Scotland.

    Transport minister Norman Baker said: "Good bus services play a huge role in boosting economic growth by helping people to access employment and training opportunities.

    "I have been encouraging bus operators to look at the fare deals they can offer to young people looking for work, so I congratulate the operators that are doing so in January and look forward to seeing other offers in the future."

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/10/unemployed-free-bus-travel


Comments

  • #2
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭bmaxi


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    This seems like a very good idea, l wonder would they do the same in Ireland. :D

    Bus companies have come together to offer free travel to the unemployed as part of a Government-backed scheme to help people find work.

    Some 800,000 people across Britain who have been without a job for between three months to a year will be eligible to claim for a card, giving them free bus rides in January.

    The JobCentre Plus Travel Discount Card already entitles them to half-price journeys.

    Arriva, First, Go-Ahead, National Express and Stagecoach are among the operators signed up to the deal, which covers 70% of routes in England, Wales and Scotland.

    Transport minister Norman Baker said: "Good bus services play a huge role in boosting economic growth by helping people to access employment and training opportunities.

    "I have been encouraging bus operators to look at the fare deals they can offer to young people looking for work, so I congratulate the operators that are doing so in January and look forward to seeing other offers in the future."

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/10/unemployed-free-bus-travel

    Do you want Alek Smart's head to explode?


  • #3
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


    I was unemployed in England eight years ago. Didn't use the bus, but the DWP would give me a travel warrant to go to interviews. Saved me hundreds in train fares by paying for the return journey.


  • #4
    spank_inferno
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,892 ✭✭✭spank_inferno


    Good idea alright.

    Are the travel passes available to the newly unemployed or is this just to the elderly?


  • #5
    Ben D Bus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭Ben D Bus


    In Norman Tebbit's day a bike was the only transport you needed to find work :D


  • #6
    cbl593h
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭cbl593h


    It's been going on since Tony Blair Labour government days, was formerly called a "New Deal Card", it's a standard thing for those unfortunately newly unemployed.

    But unlike anything in Ireland they are harsh on its misuse to the point of treating its misuse as a "Travel irregularity" on the railways making the misuser eligible for up to a £1000 fine and up to 3 months in jail (and the penalty is enforced!) and also an immediate suspension of benefit from the TIME OF ALLEGATION OF MISUSE.............

    http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/railcards-and-discounts/jobcentre-plus-travel-discount-card/


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  • #7
    cbl593h
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭cbl593h


    monkeypants wrote: »
    I was unemployed in England eight years ago. Didn't use the bus, but the DWP would give me a travel warrant to go to interviews. Saved me hundreds in train fares by paying for the return journey.
    A warrant for travel is a basic thing from the Job centre in the UK to go to a interview but if your application is spurious (just to show you've turned up etc) they will cut you off your £60 pw Jobseekers and reclaim the expenses.......... :D

    http://www.atocrailwarrants.org/clientfiles/Image/small_rail_warrant.jpg


  • #8
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    This seems like a very good idea, l wonder would they do the same in Ireland. :D

    Bus companies have come together to offer free travel to the unemployed as part of a Government-backed scheme to help people find work.

    Some 800,000 people across Britain who have been without a job for between three months to a year will be eligible to claim for a card, giving them free bus rides in January.

    The JobCentre Plus Travel Discount Card already entitles them to half-price journeys.

    Arriva, First, Go-Ahead, National Express and Stagecoach are among the operators signed up to the deal, which covers 70% of routes in England, Wales and Scotland.

    Transport minister Norman Baker said: "Good bus services play a huge role in boosting economic growth by helping people to access employment and training opportunities.

    "I have been encouraging bus operators to look at the fare deals they can offer to young people looking for work, so I congratulate the operators that are doing so in January and look forward to seeing other offers in the future."

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/10/unemployed-free-bus-travel

    No,my head is still infacta,intacta.....:)

    It's far from a Freebie....this extension of a pre-existing scheme is largely dependant upon the Government-Backed bit.

    You can rest assured that Sir Brian Souter and associates are not embarking on some Victor Bewley like solo-run of munificience.

    You can be fairly assured that this will have a degree of accountability far beyond what we could ever envisage in the "Land of the Free".

    Having said that,the UK's National Free-Travel Scheme is not exactly cast-in-stone either,as huge problems continue to arise over Government Funding shortfalls,and more importantly,Local Authorities having to reduce or eliminate funding in other areas to continue the Free Travel requirements imposed upon them by Westminister.

    Thankfully,we rise above all that oul accountability guff....:rolleyes:


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • #9
    dowlingm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,337 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    I'd be fine with warrants. It gives an accountability trail for both user and issuer.


  • #10
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


    cbl593h wrote: »
    A warrant for travel is a basic thing from the Job centre in the UK to go to a interview but if your application is spurious (just to show you've turned up etc) they will cut you off your £60 pw Jobseekers and reclaim the expenses.......... :D

    http://www.atocrailwarrants.org/clientfiles/Image/small_rail_warrant.jpg
    No doubt. Back then it was only £55 each week. Used the warrants four times I think; once to Leeds, once to Glasgow and twice to Taunton. On the Glasgow trip they even put me up in a B&B. Each time I brought a copy of the interview invite with me. I only wish that the Jobcentre had mentioned it earlier as I had already funded two trips to Leeds and £160 (£80 x 2) is a steep ask when your weekly income is £55.


  • #11
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    monkeypants wrote: »
    No doubt. Back then it was only £55 each week. Used the warrants four times I think; once to Leeds, once to Glasgow and twice to Taunton. On the Glasgow trip they even put me up in a B&B. Each time I brought a copy of the interview invite with me. I only wish that the Jobcentre had mentioned it earlier as I had already funded two trips to Leeds and £160 (£80 x 2) is a steep ask when your weekly income is £55.

    Bloody mean-spirited Brits.....:rolleyes:

    They need to get real.....


    LostyDublin:
    274. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan <A href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=31&MemberID=106"&gt; asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is anticipated that all free travel passes will contain photo ID in view of the security concerns raised by some senior citizens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41377/12]
    Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): The estimated cost of the Free Travel Scheme in 2012 is €77 million for 745,466 registered customers. In addition when companion passes are taken into account there are an estimated 1.2 million people with an entitlement to free travel.

    Applying a simple divison exercise of the amount paid divided by all entitled to travel, the State is coughing up a whopping €64.16 per customer. That's not even 1% of the market value of what one would pay Luas and CIE for a similar entitlement. If we go for passholders alone, it costs the State €103.29 each.

    As of 2011, the population of Ireland is 4.58 million.

    With the ADULT population standing at c.3 Million we have a situation whereby c.33% of the population are not required to pay for any form of public transport.

    Not a Hope in Hell of this scenario making any form of sense,fiscal or social,something which is well appreciated by the many and varied large UK Private Sector teams which came,saw and ran away quite rapidly from the Irish Public Transport "Market".

    Once it became apparent that the Free Travel Scheme really was "Free",ie nobody paying for it at all,the Private Sector made it's excuses and left.

    The UK majors are having a torrid enough time back home with their own National Free Bus Travel scheme,which is on a wing and a prayer right now,also due to funding shortfalls.

    The answer in the UK is for private operators to cancel large numbers of services in order to allow Local Authorities make the savings to fund Free Travel,leading to the very Irish situation of everybody having a Free Pass,but there being NO services upon which to use it....:o


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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  • #12
    Sitec
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,964 ✭✭✭Sitec


    We already have a version of that currently in place. The Luas.


  • #13
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


    cbl593h wrote: »
    A warrant for travel is a basic thing from the Job centre in the UK to go to a interview but if your application is spurious (just to show you've turned up etc) they will cut you off your £60 pw Jobseekers and reclaim the expenses.......... :D

    http://www.atocrailwarrants.org/clientfiles/Image/small_rail_warrant.jpg
    I ended up with a job in Taunton that lasted for three years, so it was worth it for them.


  • #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    yes id love this feckinb 1.80 in and out


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