Council voices concerns over County Council passenger transport proposals
Eastleigh Borough Council has formally submitted its concerns over the proposals in Hampshire County Council's (HCC) consultation on supported passenger transport services and the concessionary travel schemes.
HCC’s proposals seek to reduce their budget by around £800,000 per year from April 2023, by making operational changes to supported passenger transport, removing some enhancements to the concessionary travel schemes and increasing the amounts users pay for some services.
The Council has strongly objected to the proposed reductions in bus and community transport services levels, which may disproportionately impact on borough residents from:
- Households without access to a private car
- Young people - In the age group 17-20, who make the most trips per year
- Older people who rely on service in the borough as a primary way of accessing healthcare services and the community impacting on mental health, social isolation, and loneliness
- Ethnic minority backgrounds
Reducing the number of locations and frequency of public services will also affect the opportunity to get to work, access education, healthcare, libraries, banking, post offices and other services and facilities.
As part of the Councils’ commitment to tackling the climate emergency, it is trying to encourage more people out of their cars to reduce congestion and improve air quality. However, these proposals to reduce public transport will increase reliance on cars and in turn increase levels of air pollution and congestion on the road network.
The Council is also concerned that the removal of the 25% discount on Dial-a-Ride and Call & Go services for holders of an Older Person’s Bus Pass or a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass will impact on many of our residents who are most in need. People with disabilities are more likely to live in a low-income household, less likely to be in employment and more likely to be lonely or isolated.
Council Leader Cllr Keith House said, “We are extremely concerned about many of these proposals. They are bad for the environment and bad for many of our residents with a disproportionate effect on many of the more vulnerable people in our communities including the elderly and disabled. Many will increasingly live in areas with limited community transport provision and limited or no access to public transport and will be left isolated and cut off from key services, facilities and their communities. This could then have a significant impact on people’s ability to access crucial healthcare provision and further exacerbate physical and mental health issues.”
He added, “We will continue to work to minimise any harmful impact of these HCC budget reductions on the quality of life of our residents.”
You can read our full response from page 45.
You can still comment online until Sunday 24 July 2022.