Taxi Driver Online

Elderly to lose taxi vouchers

03 March 2005

ELDERLY people are to lose the right to free taxi vouchers.

Labour councillors described the move as mean after St Albans District Council's cabinet decided on Tuesday to stop providing the vouchers to people over the age of 70.

Instead the cabinet agreed that vouchers should only be available to disabled people who had no access to a car.

The scheme, which provides £60 worth of taxi vouchers a year, had originally been for the disabled and people over 75 but poor take-up meant it was extended to the over 70s.

It became such a huge success that the council suspended it after the cost spiralled.

As part of the budget, it was decided to cap the scheme at £41,000 but it has now been agreed that it will be limited only to the disabled. Mike Ridley, the council's head of environment and health, told cabinet that tthis would make it much simpler to operate.

But he admitted that many people who had already applied for vouchers would be disappointed.

Resources portfolio holder Cllr Chris Oxley said: "Offering vouchers to everyone over 70 as well as the disabled simply was not sustainable."

He pointed out that the council already spent £800,000 on bus passes for the elderly and there were also other schemes designed to help them.

But Labour Cllr Janet Smith did not agree that reducing the scheme was the best way forward. "It is simply mean," she said.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I suspect they need to save the money because they have, or are going to spend millions on poxy taxibuses.

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IDFIMH

PEOPLE are losing their entitlement, these are the vunerable within our society, our consumers the OFT didn't want standing around.

Sussex's answer - stop allowing people the chance to offer services, and ignore the need of the elderly within our society.

Get these people their vouchers back, allow them the opportunity to travel, allow them to be socially included.

Don't give Sussex a plate, nor any of his deranged supporters, until they have some respect for the people within our society with the greatest need for our services. As they will never meet that demand as they will be to busy outside the nightclubs waiting for a good fare.

B. Lucky

Taxi vouchers in the Tayside area are for the disabled,no matter what age.
Angus area 50%discount up to £10,Dundee area 50%up to £5-00.
Customers pay half,plus extra over the limit.
Good system,but too much paper work for Dundee vouchers,as usual onus on drivers to fill in the paper work and if an operator/office,collate and send back to council.

Paul mate, if there is a lot of paperwork then your obviously doing plenty of them, if your doing plenty of them it shows 2 things, 1 that there is a need for such services and 2 your doing alright from them.

B. Lucky

True,but the council opened up the list,so that the customers could have a better service,and only a handful of new drivers/operators,are covering the work.Also the ammount of extra cabs on,over 100,for wheelchair customers,250,does not equate.
Ranks are chokka and money down.
Still,.must not grumble

yeah, nice to see your not grumbling

Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin