By Lesley-Anne McKeown
BBC News NI
Proposed changes to free bus and rail travel are “cruel and inhumane”, a public meeting has heard.
On Thursday about 40 people gathered in Belfast to air their views on proposals to raise the age at which people qualify for free public transport.
A 12-week consultation is being run by the Department for Infrastructure.
Views are also being sought on extending eligibility for free travel to disabled people who currently only quality for half-price fairs.
‘I’m disgusted’
Among those at the meeting was Dympna McGlade, who uses buses to travel for voluntary work.
She said: “I’m disgusted, to be honest.”
Dympna McGlade said taking the right for women to retire at 60 in 1995 and now the threat to raise the free public-transport eligibility age was a “double whammy”
“I’m one of the women who had the right to have their pension at 60 taken away from them in 1995 and now that I’m actually pension age to have the free bus pass taken away… It’s not great.
“It’s like a double whammy for women my age.”
“I use the bus for environmental purposes and it’s the cheapest thing to do – it’s free for me. I do voluntary work so if the bus pass is taken away and there’s cuts in the voluntary and community sector – who’s paying for my transport costs?”
‘Rich pensioner myth’
Jim Larmour said: “I think the proposal, first and foremost, is inhumane towards older people who have contributed all their lives to society and paid their taxes.
“I think it’s really cruel to attack the most vulnerable in society. This myth of the rich pensioner that doesn’t need public transport and it’s a waste of money – it’s nonsense, I believe. I’ve yet to meet a rich pensioner.
“And as was said in the meeting a lot of people who are better off don’t use passes anyway.”
Jim Larmour described free public transport as a lifeline for older people
“My mother is elderly. If you take the example: the local banks have closed down so, older people would have to get a bus into town to get to the bank – they don’t use online banking and all those modern ideas.
“This is a lifeline for people.
“My mother would take the bus into town once a week to get some money and do some shopping. Luckily she’s still able to do that.
“If you take that away the effect of people on their mental health, particularly older people, I think it’ll be horrendous.”
The DFI has said eligibility for the free travel SmartPass has not changed since 2008 and it wants to assess current views.
The public meeting was organised by People Before Profit.
The party’s MLA Gerry Carroll said: “We are opposed to these proposals which we see as an attack on public services.”
He added: “It’s cruel, especially during a cost of living crisis.”
