Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Environment and Transport outlining changes to the way that the concessionary fares regime operates across England and the implications for the District.

  Agreed to adopt a statutory minimum concessionary fare scheme for an interim 12 months period and requested the submission of a further report and associated Medium Term Plan bid to a future meeting.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Environment and Transport (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which outlined the implications for the Council of the Government’s decision to introduce a free concessionary bus fare scheme for those within the eligibility criteria including the over 60s and people with disabilities.

As the scheme made provision for concessionary travel within the boundaries of an individual authority after 09.30 hours only, Members were advised that a study had been commissioned by the Cambridgeshire authorities in an attempt to identify a deliverable scheme for implementation by the required date of April 2006.

Having noted that the new scheme would result in some recipients being worse off than previously, and having discussed three options identified as possible schemes, the Cabinet expressed concern over the imposition of a further new initiative on local authorities without the accompanying resources.  It was therefore

RESOLVED

  (a)  that a statutory minimum concessionary fare scheme for an interim 12 months period be adopted by the Council; and

  (b)  that a further report and associated Medium Term Plan bid be submitted to a future meeting.