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The future of Free Travel Passes being flagged again

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    #122
    Condatis
    Registered Users Posts: 651 ✭✭✭Condatis


    I have had a Free Travel Pass since 2010 when I reached 66. For use on Dublin Bus there is a requirement for a photo ID which is obtained at Dublin Bus in O'Connell Street. I have never been asked to produce it despite using a bus at least ten times a week.

    A few weeks ago a fellow passenger told me that he got a Pass "from a mate". The "mate" reports his own Pass lost, gets a replacement, then gives – or sells? – his Pass to somebody else.


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    #123
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,834 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    Condatis wrote: »
    <snip>

    A few weeks ago a fellow passenger told me that he got a Pass "from a mate". The "mate" reports his own Pass lost, gets a replacement, then gives – or sells? – his Pass to somebody else.
    i suppose the positive about the prospect of a smartcard travel pass - with or without photo - is that once "lost" the old card could be blacklisted and be flaged as no longer valid by the card scanners.

    Well....
    you'd presume a basic feature like that is built into the system! I'm sure we'll find out in time if it is.


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    #124
    schemingbohemia
    Registered Users Posts: 5,606 ✭✭✭schemingbohemia


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    Some interesting stats on the Free Travel Scheme appear at the tail-end of the DSP's reprise of statistics for 2010.

    http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Policy/ResearchSurveysAndStatistics/Documents/2010stats.pdf

    At long-last it's now possible to lay that old ghost about the Free Travel Scheme being the Old Age Pension Pass.....

    Total number of persons in respect of whom Free Travel Passes have been issued....699,164

    Total number of Contributory,Non Contributory and Transition Pension holders covered by the scheme...249,653

    Equally interesting is the classification of "Others" under which 180,462 lucky individuals travel free gratis within the State.

    Of course it could also be a case of Lies,Damn Lies,and then....statistics...;)

    I think I'm going blind, where are those figures in the document you linked to? Can't seem to find them. All I can find are total expenditure on Free Travel Scheme by year which shows a miserable increase in expenditure at the same time as there's been a huge increase in those availing of the scheme.


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    #125
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,834 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    schemingbohemia wrote: »
    I think I'm going blind, where are those figures in the document you linked to? Can't seem to find them. All I can find are total expenditure on Free Travel Scheme by year which shows a miserable increase in expenditure at the same time as there's been a huge increase in those availing of the scheme.
    page 100, Table J4 has the info very detailed and categorised


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    #126
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    There's no free travel pass for anyone in any German city that I know of and absolutely no such thing as a national travel pass.

    OAP's in Berlin can avail of a discounted (off peak) trvelcard, as can disabled and unemployed/students.

    In Germany there is even a scale for your disability. The more disabled the doc says you are, the cheaper your ticket. If you are totally disabled, you will get a partner ticket at a reduced rate too, but nothing for free for anyone!


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    #127
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,249 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    The flip side is in eastern European countries, certainly Russia, there is an extensive free travel entitlement, which is carried exclusively by the transport companies.


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    #128
    parsi
    Site Banned Posts: 5,904 ✭✭✭parsi


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    The companion pass should be abolished! also remove the Spousal entitlement except in the case of OAP's.

    If the pass has been issued to a person who has furnished the correct documents then I see no reason why the companion pass or spousal benefit be abolished.

    After all what about people being cared for by a spouse or companion ? Are their carers supposed to pay for travel ? Is free travel only for singletons who are able enough to travel on their own ? What about a mother who has to regularly travel with her disabled son in order to receive medical care at a remote facility requiring multiple modes of public transport - is she to be discriminated against ?

    If we go down the road of not providing companion passes to legitimate cases then maybe the singletons can just be provided with warrants for relevant journeys ?

    What is needed is a root and branch re-examination of the system and not just tinkering around the edges discommoding the deserving.


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    #129
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    parsi wrote: »
    If the pass has been issued to a person who has furnished the correct documents then I see no reason why the companion pass or spousal benefit be abolished.

    After all what about people being cared for by a spouse or companion ? Are their carers supposed to pay for travel ? Is free travel only for singletons who are able enough to travel on their own ? What about a mother who has to regularly travel with her disabled son in order to receive medical care at a remote facility requiring multiple modes of public transport - is she to be discriminated against ?

    If we go down the road of not providing companion passes to legitimate cases then maybe the singletons can just be provided with warrants for relevant journeys ?

    What is needed is a root and branch re-examination of the system and not just tinkering around the edges discommoding the deserving.
    They can eliminate most fraudulant use immediately by changing the rules to require a passport or Garda age card be presented for travel with the pass and also that it be present during any journey undertaken.

    This will remove all the "Copies" in circulation where a legitimate holder has reported their pass missing and them when they get a replacement they give or sell it to someone else who only needs a household bill and birth cert of the legitimate holder to have their picture put onto a photopass.


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