New research published today reveals that more than 90% of those entitled to the free England-wide bus pass are eagerly awaiting its introduction on April 1st 2008.
The current bus concession scheme for older and eligible disabled people will soon be extended to provide free local off-peak bus travel anywhere in England and, according to a recent independent survey for the Department for Transport, is expected to bring significant benefits to those who plan to make the most of it. The findings reveal that of those who responded:
* 91% of people aged 60 or over, or eligible disabled, support the new pass.
* 79% of those aged 60 or over believe it will provide greater independence with many planning to use it to visit shops outside their local area.
* 68% of respondents believe that pass holders will save more than £10 per month, with half of those believing the figure could be over £20.
* 70% of eligible disabled respondents will use the pass to keep in touch with friends and relatives no matter where they are.
Launching a new £1.5 million publicity campaign in York this morning, Transport Minister Rosie Winterton said:
"I am delighted that so many people are looking forward to the new concession. This is such an important scheme because the new pass offers not only greater freedom and independence it can also offer significant savings when visiting friends, services and places of interest outside of their local area.
"How people will use it is down to them of course, but our aim is to make sure that the millions of passengers who have a pass are fully informed about how they can make the most of it from April 1st."
The distinctive advertising campaign, which prominently features a 'destination anywhere' bus stop design, will appear in national and consumer press throughout the coming weeks as well as at bus stops and onboard bus services until late March 2008.
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