Issue - meetings

This report is in response to a petition submitted by Cllr Simpson-Laing in April 2008, requesting that the travel token allocation be returned to £40 for the 2008/09 financial year.

Option A - A report to go before the Executive to consider the issuing of an additional £20 worth of tokens to all token holders and remind national bus pass holders that they are entitled to surrender their pass in exchange for tokens if they so wish. The tokens entitlement diminishes as the year progresses (by £5 per quarter based on a £20 maximum annual distribution).

Option B - Do not issue any additional tokens for 2008/09 and commission a strategic study for presentation to the Executive to consider qualification and cost criteria for 2009/10.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to adopt Option B, not to issue any additional tokens for 2008/09 and commission a strategic study for presentation to the Executive to consider qualification and cost criteria for 2009/10.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            This will ensure that Council reflects on the major changes that have occurred in the past year with the launch of the national bus pass.

Members considered a report, which had been prepared in response to a petition submitted by Cllr Simpson-Laing in April 2008, which requested that the travel token allocation be returned to £40 for the 2008/9 financial year.

The report outlined the recent history of travel token distribution in York and compared the current City of York Council arrangements to the provision in other areas of England. It was also confirmed that a number of authorities had decided to stop issuing Transport Tokens altogether with the introduction of free concessionary bus travel from 2006

Officers pointed out that the main disadvantage of the tokens was that they were not directed towards those people who really needed them. They confirmed that a review of Community Transport was also to be undertaken in parallel with the study of travel concessions, which it was hoped to report back on in the autumn.

Certain Members expressed disappointment with the recommendation not to issue additional tokens for 2008/09 but supported the proposed study for future years. It was confirmed that many people were unable to access local transport and that this impacted on their day to day lives. Members also felt that abuse of the scheme should be examined together with targeting the allocation to those in need.

Members then considered the following options:

Option A - A report to go before the Executive to consider the issuing of an additional £20 worth of tokens to all token holders and remind national bus pass holders that they are entitled to surrender their pass in exchange for tokens if they so wish. The tokens entitlement diminishes as the year progresses (by £5 per quarter based on a £20 maximum annual distribution).

Option B - Do not issue any additional tokens for 2008/09 and commission a strategic study for presentation to the Executive to consider qualification and cost criteria for 2009/10.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to adopt Option B, not to issue any additional tokens for 2008/09 and commission a strategic study for presentation to the Executive to consider qualification and cost criteria for 2009/10. ^1.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            This will ensure that Council reflects on the major changes that have occurred in the past year with the launch of the national bus pass.