To coincide with National Carers’ Week this week (12 - 18 June) the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority (SYPTA) is enhancing its Concessionary Scheme for people who need help using public transport. People who qualify for the "With Carer" Mobility Pass will be able to keep it beyond the age of 65.
On 1 April this year, the "With Carer" Pass was introduced to allow carers of disabled people to travel on public transport free in South Yorkshire. However due to limited funding the concession only applied to passengers aged 65 and under.
After listening to the views of passengers and consulting with operators, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) has made the decision to enhance the concession by extending it to people who reach the age of 65 from 18 June 2007.
Passenger Services Director, David Brown, of SYPTE said: “This is great news and I am sure it will benefit many people across the county. The Concession for Carers’ Pass is a great scheme and I hope that it helps carers and Mobility Pass users get around South Yorkshire more easily in the future."
The enhancement to the scheme will be introduced on Monday 18 June and it will be reviewed again in 12 months time.
National Carers’ Week, which runs all this week, recognises, supports and celebrates the six million carers in the UK. It is estimated that the introduction of this pass will save a non-disabled person acting as a carer somewhere in the region of £400 a year.
The “With Carer” Pass allows a companion to travel with the disabled person without paying a fare. Like the normal Mobility Pass it is valid all day on local buses, trains, and trams.
The usual restrictions on Mobility Pass entitlement and validity apply. Details of these and how to find out who qualifies for a Mobility Pass are included in a new Mobility Pass leaflet available from Travel South Yorkshire Information Centres, or by calling Traveline on 01709 515151.
SYPTE is a member of the Travel South Yorkshire partnership.
The aim of the partnership is to bring public transport together, encourage more people to use it, make it easier to understand and deliver new, innovative public transport products and services.
Travel South Yorkshire is the new identity of the public transport network in South Yorkshire.