London Councils urged to protect Freedom Pass

Tens of thousands of signatories have urged London Councils to publicly commit to keeping the Freedom Pass, a scheme that allows free public travel across London for people aged over 66.

An open letter calling for the protection of the pass, which has existed for 53 years, is to be handed to London Councils.

The body, which represents the capital's 32 boroughs and the City of London, previously said it was concerned about the rising expense for councils of delivering the pass, and it was planning to carry out a review.

John McGeachy, from Age UK London, said older people relied on the pass every day, and "the overwhelming response to our open letter shows just how vital this support is".

Although the Older Person's Freedom Pass is paid for by the boroughs, Transport for London pays for another scheme called the 60+ London Oyster card that provides the same benefits for people over the age of 60 until they become eligible for the Freedom Pass.

McGeachy said people used the pass for appointments, social activities and to stay connected to family and friends.

It enables older and disabled residents to use public transport across London at no cost at the weekend and after 9:00 on weekdays (9:30 for National Rail travel), covering buses, the Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground, the Elizabeth line and most National Rail services in the capital.

London Councils said no changes were currently planned to the pass, but one of the ideas previously suggested was to limit free transport to buses only - as councils in other parts of the country do. By doing so, London Councils could save over £100m a year.

Age UK London said that despite the current statement that the pass will remain as it is, the letter's importance was in demonstrating "just how strongly older Londoners feel".

There has long been debate over whether free travel for older Londoners should be means-tested or scrapped.

It became the subject of a social media row last winter when the television presenter Kirstie Allsopp criticised the children's author Michael Rosen for having a Freedom Pass, saying "people taking things they did not need" was "bankrupting the country".

Her comments sparked a wider discussion among Londoners, with many defending the passes as a vital benefit for older people who have paid taxes for decades.

London Councils said a range of options would be considered later this year, but any changes to the scheme would require full public consultation to ensure that the impact could be fully assessed before any decisions were made, and it said that might require changes in legislation.

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