London Councils shelves review of Freedom Pass

London Councils has said it has shelved proposals to review the Freedom Pass, which allows Londoners aged over 66 to travel free on public transport.

BBC London was told on Thursday about the decision, following a campaign by Age UK London and a petition signed by tens of thousands of people urging London Councils to commit to keeping it.

Concerns about the future of the Freedom Pass were raised in January, after the body which represents London's local authorities discussed limiting free travel for older people to buses in order to save money.

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

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.

One of the ideas previously suggested to London Councils 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.

A London Councils spokesperson said: "No changes are planned to the Freedom Pass. The provision and scope of the Freedom Pass are set out in national legislation.

"All 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation fund and deliver the Freedom Pass scheme which enables London residents over the age of 66 to travel free on all public transport modes in the capital."

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