Northumberland travel scheme wins reprieve

Posted by The Journal on Jun 12, 10 02:22 PM in Councils

Hundreds of elderly and disabled people who are too frail to use buses are set to be helped by a new cut-price travel scheme in Northumberland.

Anger erupted earlier this year when county council budget cuts threatened to bring the axe down on concessionary taxi travel for people physically unable to use other forms of public transport.

The council said it was planning to scrap four taxi schemes - which operated in Blyth Valley, Tynedale, Castle Morpeth and Wansbeck - to save ÃÂ£70,000 a year. Now it has had a change of heart and plans to launch a new, county-wide scheme on July 1 which involves people paying ÃÂ£10 for ÃÂ£50 worth of taxi tokens.

It is estimated that about 2,000 elderly and disabled people will be eligible, although only around half that number are expected to take up the scheme.

Under the four existing schemes, users are issued with vouchers, tokens or passes to pay for taxi trips to the shops, GP and hospital appointments, or to visit relatives and friends.

Wheelchair-user and stroke victim Vicky Hindhaugh, 74, who also has heart problems and asthma, is one of the hundreds who currently use taxi tokens.

Yesterday Mrs Hindhaugh, who lives in Blyth, said: "I am delighted that taxi tokens are going to continue because they are very important to people like me. I can't drive, get on and off buses or even go out on my own, so even just to go to the shops I need to go by taxi."

Dick Simmons, who chairs the Blyth Valley Disabled Forum and is a wheelchair user himself, said: "For people with severe mobility problems, such as myself, this is a very important scheme because they rely on taxis for most of the places they go.

"It was essential that a taxi travel scheme was retained, and anything that will allow disabled people to make essential journeys will help at a time when council finances are so tight."

The county-wide scheme is expected to be approved by the council's Liberal Democrat executive on Monday.

Only people who are unable to use buses, don't have access to a car and get means-tested benefits such as pension credits will be eligible for the tokens.

A report to the meeting says: "The group of people who this scheme is targeted on are at particular risk of social exclusion and isolation."

The scheme will be reviewed later this year so that decisions can be made on its future, and any changes which are considered necessary for 2011/12.

We'd like to hear from you.
Send your stories, pics and videos to northumberland@ncjmedia.co.uk