From 1 April, there will be significant changes to the way disabled people travel on public transport in South Yorkshire.
On that date, for the first time, severely disabled people - who travel at no cost through the Transport Executive’s concessionary fares scheme - will qualify for a special kind of Mobility Pass that also allows a carer to travel with them free of charge.
“We are very pleased to be able to announce the introduction of this extension of the mobility scheme,” said Transport Executive Passenger Services Director David Brown.
“Of course, this represents a considerable increase in the budget we allocate for concessionary schemes, which also apply to senior citizens and the under 16s.”
It is estimated that for the freedom of travel made available with a Mobility Pass, a non-disabled person acting as a carer would have to pay somewhere in the region of £400 a year. And with the change to national off-peak validity due to start in 2008, the value of these passes becomes that much greater.
“So this is something of a pilot scheme, the success of which we will be monitoring closely, to assess take up and usage of the scheme with a possible view to widening the possible client base to include those Mobility Pass holders who eventually migrate to a Senior Citizens pass,” added Mr Brown.
“We are duty bound, because we are dealing with public money, to make sure passes are only issued to those people who are entitled to them.“
For this reason the Transport Executive is to require people whose Mobility Passes are about to expire to go back to their local social services and have their entitlement confirmed before a new pass is issued. This only happens every five years, and for some - many blind people and people with a learning disability, for example - it should be possible to waive this requirement after the first time.
Transitional arrangements will be put in place to help people who may have to leave it until the last minute before their pass expires. Qualification for a ‘with carer’ pass entails meeting the criteria to get a Mobility Pass and being in receipt of Higher Rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance.
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.