Liberal Democrats attack cuts to transport for older people

4.35.33pm GMT Wed 13th Feb 2008

Transport for elderly under threat.

Liberal Democrats have attacked Tory plans to axe evening and Saturday Dial-a-Ride services, planned to be announced in the upcoming county council budget.

Malcolm Cowan, the party's transport spokesperson said 'Just £88,000 is the saving from ending this important lifeline for elderly people'.

'We know that several of the districts in Herts are planning to end their support for regular bus services, likely to result in cuts to evening and weekend services. The county's own transport experts warn that this is a false economy, because people who lose their return service in the evening will not make the outward journey in daytime. Yet here are the ruling Tories planning to do exactly that with Dial-a-Ride. A double whammy for some of our more vulnerable citizens. So much for the council's so-called promise of accessibility for all and helping older people to say independent.

Malcolm added 'We were shocked to hear a senior Tory say that elderly people who wanted to travel in the evening should use 'some other form of transport', presumably a taxi, rather like Marie-Antoinette telling the poor to eat cake if they couldn't afford bread.

'We will be raising this again at the budget meeting later in the month, when we hope that good sense might possibly have prevailed.'

For further information, contact Malcolm Cowan on 01707-324723