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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think kids should go free on buses?

167 replies

3asAbird · 21/12/2013 09:08

I know they do travel free in london if under 16.

here its free until 5

but most of time they never ask me to pay for 7year old.

really depends what bus drivers we get.
fares seem to vary on same route like they made a na error.

everyone moans about first bus and how extortionate they are.
they never on time
bus drivers can be rude and seem to hate kids.

one had go at me for giving him change think there was few coppers with the silver.

ours frequently dont have change and give change tickets which have to eb take to bus station or first shop which means frequenly i never see the money back.

i rarly take the bus with kids as its flipping stressful

but sometimes from local high street as the main road long abut mile if weathers bad its now £1.50 each way so return would cost £3 for 1mile.
day riders £4 each and family day rider £10 but worked out summer sometimes cheaper hubby drive into city centre and park.

anyway last night we did some shopping food up high street. cash machine wasent working so had £1.50 on me, it was dark and raining.

kids asked if we take bus so girls sat down 2younger ones under 5 3kids.

the bus driver dident argue she wanted eldest to pay due to age.

she said was first rules only 2free kids with 1 fullpaying adults.
never heard that rule before, some could say when you chanced it and lost.

so we had to get off shame of everyone on bus looking.
small boy crying in his buggy.
we were only going like 3 stops .

some of you might say aibu you should pay you fare ddger but rules seem to vary on driver and route they shouldent never know what to expect.

i hate taking bus most of time as people can be so horrid.

last time had 2 oaps have go at me over my well behaved kids.
got off stop early.

we live distance from school bus that bus route so unreliable and would work out so expensive we walk the 1.2 miles.

myself and kids quite used to walking now so often walk what most people say long distances not helped by some areas even close by ones being 2buses.

often theres not enough room many buggies.

but i have been thinking last few months/

hear people say what strain bus fees are to senior schools £60 a month here yet educations pretty much compulsary unless you home ed and you get whichever school council allocate you.

even if within 2miles can be long walk for little reception child.

i wonder what happens with unemployed and job centre?
as nearest job centres 6miles £6 return or 4miles,2buses £4.

my 2 wealthy car driving neighbours with their free bus passes are often going on nice shopping trips or days out with theres.

which makes me think.

why oaps get free travel but not kids?

im lucky every things walkable and rarly rely on bus but for those who do must be huge cost.

so every time i walk up long rd in wet/snow and see bus whizz past with mostly oaps i think god the uks so fair not!

OP posts:
JohnnyBarthes · 21/12/2013 20:31

DS's club, the options are:

  1. walk half a mile to the bus stop, pay £2.50
  2. get driven by me (so that's 4 car journeys)
  3. don't go

It is only a couple of miles away but much is along a road with no pavement - I wouldn't expect an adult to walk that in the dark let alone a 13 year old. I can afford (just) to run a car so I may as well run him there rather than shell out for the bus.

If the bus was free, he'd be taking that.

He gets driven to school because otherwise it would cost another £40 a month, but he gets the bus home. Again, if the bus was free he'd be taking that both ways.

If the bus was free none of his friends' parents would have decided to send their children to a school they're not happy with because they can't find £80 p/m bus fare. More of his friends would be able to take part in activities that require travel.

So, the kids who are currently taken to stuff by car would have to walk a bit to the bus stop. The kids who can't afford to go to stuff because their parents can't find the extra £2+ for the bus would have more opportunities open to them.

Oh, and we'd get the bus into town rather than taking the car. £6 for ds and I on the bus versus £6 to park? £8 or £10 for me, him and a couple of his mates? I drive.

Win, win imo.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 20:34

And since the expectation of working longer and the reality ofraised pension ages is here no one who's still working full time and doesn't have a disability should be claiming free travel.

Grennie · 21/12/2013 21:23

If you are beyond retirement age, you don't get access to the same disability benefits.

AmberLeaf · 21/12/2013 21:37

You can get attendance allowance though grennie. Different name, same money.

Grennie · 22/12/2013 02:33

The criteria for attendance allowance is much higher.

Rowgtfc72 · 22/12/2013 08:47

I'm in n e Linc's and we have stagecoach buses. Kids fare is two thirds the adult fare and is payable age 5-15. We have holiday riders in school holidays for dd they're £1.50 a day.people on JSA get half price fares.
I always make dd sit on my knee if its busy,she's six and the size of an eight year old so its no fun. I do not appreciate being tutted at for not moving when 4 seats are taken up by bloody shopping trolleys!
I think we have reasonable deal here and are lucky!

sashh · 22/12/2013 10:47

They're already scrapping loads of rural, isolated routes in Cornwall because they're not making enough money because of free/subsidised travel.

What are they doing with the money they get for the subsidised travel?

HesterShaw · 22/12/2013 10:52

That's the reason they are giving.

I haven't looked at their accounts

IneedAsockamnesty · 22/12/2013 10:58

Grennie

Who told you that?

IneedAsockamnesty · 22/12/2013 11:05

The is that comes through my village only stops half the time now, the next county along and this one used to both subsidise it but this county stopped so it reduced service to this county, the bus still runs 3 times an hour but now picks up at every stop until the county sign then only stops every hour,so 3 busses come through but we can only use 1

Grennie · 22/12/2013 12:28

Sock, read the criteria online.

AmberLeaf · 22/12/2013 13:26

Grennie, the criteria for attendance allowance is the same as the criteria for DLA [now payable only to children with disabilities] for adults it is now PIP which has a different way of being worked out [points for various things] which if anything, is harder to qualify for than DLA and AA.

attenance allowance
www.disabilityrightsuk.org/attendance-allowance-aa

DLA
www.disabilityrightsuk.org/disability-living-allowance-dla

My experience of attendance allowance has been of someone on an indefinite award of DLA who moved over to AA when they turned 65 and of older pensioners who when made aware of being eligible for AA, applied and were awarded with no problem.

AmberLeaf · 22/12/2013 13:29

So If you are beyond retirement age, you don't get access to the same disability benefits is just not true.

If you know of someone who you believe should be eligible, tell them to contact a benefits advisor.

If they call the number on the link below, they can get contact details of an advisor.

www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/claiming-benefits/claiming-benefits-older-people-campaign/could-you-claim-more-benefits/

Grennie · 22/12/2013 13:35

Most old people I know would be eligible for Attendance Allowance then!

AmberLeaf · 22/12/2013 13:40

Grennie, it is one of the most under claimed [by people who are eligible] benefits of all, you'll see evidence of that if you google.

Not knowing about it, coupled with an attitude common among older people of 'not wanting to bother anyone' is the main reason for it being so under claimed.

The sheltered housing complex a relative used to live in had an advisor from the housing association that would come around periodically, purely because so many older people were eligible but not claiming. They even help with the form filling.

Seriously, if you know someone eligible, pass on the info.

IneedAsockamnesty · 22/12/2013 14:53

Amberleaf is correct.

3asAbird · 22/12/2013 21:52

EEEK feck thats travel must create barriers to education if small child or teen.

it limits choices and means kids have poorer qualitynof life as cant get involved after school clubs ect.

OP posts:
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