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Residents impacted by bus pass cuts to visit council

Local Democracy Reporting Service Patricia Clements is standing at a bus stop. She is facing towards the camera, in front of the bus shelter, which is surrounded by sparce hedging and trees and stands next to a sign which has all the bus timetables on it. Patricia has shoulder length grey hair and wears a wide brimmed forest green hat and black plastic framed square sunglasses. She has a yellow blouse on, which has a print of illustrated greyhounds on it, with a blue top on underneath and a padded brown collared gilet, which is zipped up. Patricia has a tan brown leather cross body bag on, blue leather gloves and is holding her cane, which has a red handle and is white further down.Local Democracy Reporting Service
Patricia Clements is among the residents to deliver a letter to the council amid proposed bus pass cuts

Disabled residents are set to deliver letters to councillors in a campaign against plans to change bus pass conditions.

Waterside Changemakers have already delivered a petition signed by more than 1,700 people to Hampshire County Council over proposed cuts to passes in February.

Now the group, which campaigns for disadvantaged people, has invited council leader Nick Adams-King, to meet disabled residents and receive their letters.

The authority currently allows free travel at any time of day for pass holders and helpers, but last year it agreed to alter this.

Ruling Conservatives voted to reduce the concessionary travel scheme to the legal minimum from April 2025, allowing free travel only between 09:30 and 23:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends.

The proposal is part of budget cuts, agreed in October 2024, which also include plans to end free travel for older people before 09:30 in areas with limited bus services.

'Appalling'

Campaigners previously said those affected could be forced to pay up to £3.50 for each journey under the changes.

Residents now plan to gather from 13:00 outside the council offices in Sussex Street, Winchester.

Among them will be former nurse, Patricia Clements, who lost her sight in 2022.

The 58-year-old from Marchwood told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the withdrawal of the pass before 09:30 would make it harder for her to visit the eye hospital and get to "vital" exercise classes.

She also uses her pass early in the morning because she has photophobia, a condition in which strong sunlight causes severe pain.

In her letter to the council, Mrs Clements said: "It's appalling that the council failed to give me and others a fair opportunity to explain how badly we will be affected by these cuts.

"Sight loss charities were also unaware of the council's consultation and the final decision."

She said she would also be impacted by the council's decision to withdraw companion passes, which give free travel to a person assisting a disabled pass holder.

"People who help us are volunteering their time, and it seems wrong to make them pay to do so," she wrote.

"These cuts are a false economy because people who currently travel by bus will become more dependent on social care packages to remain mobile."

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