Freedom passes no longer completely free.

[SweetiePi3]

During lockdown, people with freedom passes were not allowed to use tfl transport before 9.30 am. This took away their right to be used 24 hours. Since lockdown this has not been revoked. Do tfl think that people with a freedom pass never need to travel before that, whatever the reason?

It's not costing tfl a penny the card is paid to tfl by your local council.

Yes, and local authorities are notoriously rolling in cash right now…

This. YABU OP

I didn't realise that, thank you 😊

WeightInLine · Today 22:04
Please understand that you are getting something FOR FREE.

The rest of us are paying for you to have this Freedom Pass for free while we pay for our tickets. Some restrictions are reasonable. You are not being prevented from travelling, you just have to pay like the rest of us.

This. Honestly are you hearing quite how entitled you are sounding here?

I benefited from a disabled person’s freedom pass in London and it was incredible. Due to health I’m not allowed to drive. Before the London wide system I was offered half price on buses between 10am-4pm weekdays and did get the weekends. Council (where I worked 9-5) boasted it was to help people who are disabled work. I wouldn’t have minded if it was means tested but that

The incredible thing about London is the that you can rely on there being a bus/underground.

So you haven't heard of TFL having to make cost reductions and cutting bus services including peak bus services?

I agree, I had an early hospital appointment a few weeks ago so had to pay, but since I use my freedom pass loads and it saves me a lot I didn’t mind. It’s an amazing perk , I don’t feel guilty about having it because I usually use it to go to places where I am going to spend money and help the economy and pay peoples wages.

It's always been time restricted, hence the notion of 'twirlies ' , those who are told by the bus driver at 9am that they are too early....

I think they should be completely scrapped and a new means tested system implemented.

That’s why they are called Twirlies, as in no, it’s too early for you to use that.

I live in London and have a freedom pass, if I need to get to an early appointment I buy a single ticket, and come home using my freedom pass. I feel very fortunate to have my pass.

Ha, great minds @murasaki

You don't qualify for a bus pass round here until you're 67. Also if you want to use the trams you have to pay, it was £10pa. I don't know what it is now

Will the endless subsidising of London transport ever stop? Or the whining about some tiny restriction on a free pass?

Cannot believe you’re moaning about paying a few pounds / having very minor restrictions for the incredibly subsidised amazing tube service. Honestly Londoners don’t know they’re born. I’m from the NE and have lived in London a few years and the WHINGING when something is a few minutes late / not perfect when the rest of the counter has ALWAYS had this 9/9.30 am restriction on buses for the 60+ card (which should 100000000% be linked to actual retirement age) as well as public transport not starting before 7am / finishing by 8pm with services every 30 minutes at best and often every hour; absolutely wild. No one is stopping you travelling pre 9am. You’ll just have to pay a pittance to do so. Or else avail yourself of the million charities in London too; you have so many services available to you genuinely denied the rest of the country full stop and you don’t even know.

Just move it to a later time? That sounds so nice and easy. The last time I had to reschedule it could only be 3 months before a slot was available. You want to live in daily pain for an additional 3 months?

God I hope so!! But I doubt it 😭

Of course I have, but that's not due to freedom passes.

Absolutely

It’s not a race to the bottom. Lots of people get free or discounted travel with TFL - Veterans, widows of service personnel, people with disabilities, children, young people, apprentices, students, Annual Gold card holders, the unemployed, and for cultural school trips for London schools.

That might be outside London but before lockdown it was completely unrestricted.

Having lived in London I agree if you’ve never suffered public transport elsewhere you don’t know how lucky you are. It’s one of the reasons I’d love to live there again. I didn’t feel like a second class citizen or very disadvantaged being partially sighted in London. I do regularly in Yorkshire which affects MH.

Well said Lady!

Then Jesus Christ maybe have a bit of humility and self-awareness and be grateful for how long you had benefits above and beyond every other part of the UK. But no; it’s London, so you all deserve more and better and free to boot. Absolutely wild.