Over-60s face £10 fee for lost passes

FORGETFUL Oldham pensioners who lose their free travel pass will be charged £10 for a replacement from next week.

Transport chiefs in Greater Manchester have issued almost half a million of the new passes, which give the over 60s free bus, train and tram travel throughout Greater Manchester.

But they are going missing at the rate of 70 every day.

Currently they are replaced free, but the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) will introduce the fee from October 1.

Officials suspect that the old folk are applying for new ones without really looking for their original. They will also charge for changing personal details on the passes, but will waive the fee if the pass has been stolen and reported to the police.

The passes give free travel on local buses all over the country.

Pensioners who have not yet applied for the new pass, which was introduced in April, will not be able to use their old passes after September 30.

Initially, anyone trying to use their old pass will be handed a leaflet telling them how to apply for a new one, but eventually they will be refused travel.

GMPTE boss Mike Renshaw said: “We hope the drivers will use their discretion and not simply start turning people away on October 1, but we don’t want people thinking they can go on using their old passes forever.”

So far, Greater Manchester appears to have avoided the problems in some areas where paying passengers have been unable to get on popular buses because they are full with concessionary travellers.

And some council leaders have warned that the government is not compensating them properly for the money they have to pay to bus operators, meaning other council services may have to be cut.