John Denham has welcomed the u-turn by Southampton’s ruling Conservatives on bus passes.  The Conservative councillors had planned to cut the hours that older people could use their bus passes when the government introduces nationwide free bus travel for pensioners in April.  The Conservatives had also planned to bar many disabled people from qualifying for the passes.

John Denham said “This was always a cruel and unnecessary cut which I, together with Southampton’s Labour councillors, opposed from the start.  The Conservatives were challenged to show how their figures stacked up and where the new legislation restricted the rights of disabled people as they claimed.  They could not answer those challenges and have now been forced to back down.  It’s a good day for pensioners and disabled people and a victory for the Labour opposition.  Now we need to make sure that there are still some buses for pensioners and others to travel on.”