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Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document

Meeting of the Executive held on 04/02/2003
APPENDIX Q - TRAVEL CONCESSIONS (ELIGIBILITY) ACT 2002


The purpose of this report, which has been considered by the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee, is to inform Members about the forthcoming change to the eligibility criteria for Travel Concessions. Men between the age of 60 and 64 will become eligible for the Concession from April 2003.

The financial implication is the increase in the contribution the Council is required to pay to cover the projected increase in usage from this age group.

There are no Asset Management or Crime and Disorder issues arising from this report. The Human Rights and ‘Opportunities for All’ implications are that men and women will be treated on the same basis in respect of entitlement to Concessionary Fares. The desired environmental implication is that more people will choose to use public transport rather than their own cars for some journeys.
APPENDIX Q

WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE – 4TH FEBRUARY 2003
REFERENCE FROM COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

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Title:

TRAVEL CONCESSIONS (ELIGIBILITY) ACT 2002

[Wards Affected: All]
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Summary and Purpose

The purpose of this report, which has been considered by the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee, is to inform Members about the forthcoming change to the eligibility criteria for Travel Concessions. Men between the age of 60 and 64 will become eligible for the Concession from April 2003.

The financial implication is the increase in the contribution the Council is required to pay to cover the projected increase in usage from this age group.

There are no Asset Management or Crime and Disorder issues arising from this report. The Human Rights and ‘Opportunities for All’ implications are that men and women will be treated on the same basis in respect of entitlement to Concessionary Fares. The desired environmental implication is that more people will choose to use public transport rather than their own cars for some journeys.
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Introduction

1. For many years a discretionary Concessionary Travel Scheme has been in operation in Surrey and throughout the country. The Surrey Scheme enabled the elderly and people with a disability to travel on local buses paying only half the normal fare. The Transport Act 2000 introduced a statutory duty upon authorities to have such a Scheme, with minimum requirements, with which Waverley was already complying. The Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Act 2002 which comes into force in April 2003 introduces a change to the eligibility criteria set out in the Transport Act 2000.

Background

2. The Surrey Scheme for Concessionary Travel is a County Council Scheme which is administered by each of the District/Borough Councils. The current Scheme enables men over the age of 65, women over the age of 60 and people with a disability to apply for a Bus Permit. The Permit entitles its holder to pay only half the fare for their journey. Permits are issued from each of the Councils’ offices from April each year and are valid until the end of March of the following year. By law there cannot be a charge for the Permit. In 2001/2002, approximately 6,800 residents of Waverley Borough Council were issued with permits.

3. The Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Act 2002 which comes into effect in April 2003 widens the eligibility criteria to include men between the age of 60 and 64, enabling men to receive a Permit at the same age as women.

Financial Implications

4. Research has been undertaken by Surrey County Council into the potential increase in take up of the Permits by this new eligible group. Their conclusion, which has been endorsed by the Surrey Concessionary Fares Working Group (an Officer Group comprising officers from District/Borough Councils), is that an increase to contributions is required to cover the potential increase in take up. An agreement has been reached with the bus operators on this basis. At current year’s cost this will represent an increase of £9,257 on Waverley’s 2002/03 contribution of £225,572, requiring a base budget provision in 2003/04 of £234,829. The increased cost is payable from 2003/2004 and the appropriate inflation indices will be applied by the County Council to the above figures.

Resource/Environmental Implications

5. There are no additional resource implications to those identified in the above section. The environmental implication is the potential for decreasing, albeit by a small number, car journeys being undertaken in the Borough, with this new group of users taking advantage of reduced cost public transport services rather than using their cars.

“Opportunities for All” Implications

6. The Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee acknowledges that the new provision in the legislation extends the opportunity to more of the community to take advantage of reduced fares on public transport, making this facility more accessible to a wider group.

Recommendation

The Executive is recommended that the contents of the report be noted and that the base revenue budget for Concessionary Fares in 2003/04 recognises the additional cost of the service to the Council and be set at £234,829.
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Background Papers (DoH)

Letter from Surrey County Council dated 16th July 2002.

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CONTACT OFFICER:

Name: Mr. J. Swanton Telephone: 01483 .523375
Email: jswanton@waverley.gov.uk






comms/executive/2002-03/493