Forum Topic

TfL - Freedom Pass; 60+ Card etc

Apparently new restrictions or/and possibly withdrawal were announced on Friday by Sadiq Khan. None of the copious number of TfL emails I have received over the past few days refer to these changes and I can see nothing relevant on the TfL website. Anyone know anything about this please?

Joy Griffiths ● 2363d30 Comments

According to MSE Sadiq Khan stated: Freedom Pass and 60+ card concessions, which give free travel, will be suspended during peak hours, again as "soon as practicable".

Susanna Harrison ● 2363d

DfT website confirms: In order to reduce the risk of crowding and to encourage vulnerable groups to from using public transport at the busiest times when there is greater risk of transmission and it may not be possible to socially distance, the deal will see the temporary suspension of the Freedom Pass and 60+ card concessions to off peak hours. It will also see temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s and special arrangements will be made to ensure children eligible under national legislation can still travel to school for free. These changes will take place soon as practicable.

Susanna Harrison ● 2363d

Many thanks Susannah, is there any definition of what peak hours are ??

Steven Trembath ● 2363d

The TfL definition of a peak hour journey is one starting between 0630 and 0930 or between 1600 and 1900.

Richard Jennings ● 2363d

So presumably this means those who have freedom passes should buy Oyster cards since drivers surely won't be accepting cash.  Surely this should be given more publicity, as some may mistakenly not realise the implications.

Micki Hawkes ● 2363d

Any contactless card works.

Vivienne Cox ● 2363d

I think buses are still free, for safety reasons

David McLoughlin ● 2363d

So, basically, nobody's quite sure.

Micki Hawkes ● 2362d

hi is that am or pm thanks

Steve Dennant ● 2362d

Peak hours are 0630-0930 and 4-7pm

Lena Armstrong ● 2362d

The Freedom pass is already restricted use and you cannot use it until after those times stated and during rush hour in the evening .  Also the people who use the freedom pass are elderly or disabled many of whom have been told they cannot go out until June 30th.  So it makes no sense to restrict it further now.  TFL and the government are trying to get rid of this scheme for the last 10 years and they have had to pedal back on it  every time.  It is a lifeline for most disabled and elderly people it allows them to stay independent costing less on adult care as it helps with independence.

Caroline Carney ● 2362d

"The Freedom pass is already restricted use and you cannot use it until after those times stated and during rush hour in the evening."Not true.  It is valid 24 hours a day on TfL services at present, but the peak-hour restrictions will be imposed "as soon as practicable"."Also the people who use the freedom pass are elderly or disabled many of whom have been told they cannot go out until June 30th."That only applies to a small minority of Freedom Pass holders, the "extremely vulnerable" people affected by the shielding guidelines who are also elderly."TFL and the government are trying to get rid of this scheme for the last 10 years"I'm not sure what leads you to that conclusion.  It was 8 years ago that the scheme was extended by the introduction of the 60+ card.  The Mayor at the time was Boris Johnson.

Richard Jennings ● 2362d

The Older persons freedom passhttps://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-passBusChanges during Covid-19 (coronavirus) As we continue to work through the best way to support our customers during this period of lockdown and social distancing, due to the current outbreak of Covid-19 (coronavirus) we have made some changes to the hours of operation of the London Concessionary Bus Schemes 2019/20 and 2020/21 (currently 9.30am to 11pm) to allow travel 24-hours per day.This change only covers non-TfL buses. National rail and TfL modes are 24-hours a day already.Making this change will support our elderly and vulnerable Freedom Passholders with travel to collect essential items using public transport and allow them to take advantage of the designated early morning timeslots in supermarkets, without incurring any additional travel costs.Local buses in Greater LondonYour Freedom Pass is valid on all Transport for London (TfL) buses (in the Greater London area) at all times.Your pass is also valid on local bus services run by other bus companies which are outside the TfL bus network. Your pass will be valid Monday-Friday 09:30 - 23:00 and anytime at weekends and on public holidays.Tube, Overground, TfL Rail & DLRThe Freedom Pass is accepted all day, every day on the whole of the London Underground (the 'tube'), Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) network.National RailYour Freedom Pass allows you to travel in Standard Class on most local rail services in London, during the following times:     • Monday to Friday from 9.30am and until 4.30am the following morning     • at any time on weekends and public holidays 

Bernard Allen ● 2362d

It has always been unavailable in the morning rush hour on SWR (e.g. from Chiswick station) and on other main-line services.

Richard Greenhough ● 2362d

Another completely biased conspiracy theoryPlease check your facts before making up stories

Paul Fisher ● 2362d

And a reminder that the Freedom Pass can these days be used on the TFL / GWR main line service from Paddington, in elegant carriages, to all stations on that line to Reading...via Slough and Maidenhead.

Jim Lawes ● 2362d

My post was intended for Ms Carney

Paul Fisher ● 2362d

Maybe not on GWR past West Drayton, only TFL trains to Reading?

Chris Lucy ● 2362d

Bernard Allen, you have copied correctly the information as it currently applies. However, in the current Chiswickw4 newsletter issued today, the following appears:  "TfL have also agreed to end free travel for younger children across London and restrict the operation of the travel passes for those over 60 in peak hours".

James Currie ● 2362d

Thank you for pointing that out JamesTfL to hike congestion charge, halt free travel for kids and increase fares after Government bailout.From Money saving ExpertCallum Mason, News Reporter 15 May 2020 Transport for London will have to introduce a series of temporary measures after it was given a £1.6 billion bailout by the Government. These include stopping free travel for children, reducing free travel for the over-60s and a 30% hike in the congestion charge for people driving into the centre of London. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/05/tfl-to-reintroduce-congestion-charge-and-bus-fares-as-part-of-go/

Bernard Allen ● 2362d

Thank you all for your input- although I’m really none the wiser as to when this starts and the reduced hours being introduced!Apologies for not providing an easy click on link to the petition started against this. Please sign if you wishhttps://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fchng.it%2FG6mWgPcXkx%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0uKZWs4wJsHHrOKefhy2ajSfcPz_3dtC1P8z90DFoAtUlb19j3yCC7w1A&h=AT3FBGgZKTZhCfGUVEcyGrhS4bxhoWKaFOhGc8CfSST9sGwR3vXBijH8G2HWYS_MgsbvIdYXF1c7H6M7sZTvhxV3e6fHINOFEb_ABybW1blLVxn0SxswtxDEm7K7Bg

Joy Griffiths ● 2362d

I suspect this will be the tip of the iceberg.  The elderly will be clobbered as although they are traditional Tory supporters, Johnson has several years to the next election so will probably cut a little just before.  Rumours are that taxes will rise quite quickly,which will hit anyone with a pension of more than a smallish amount (not sure what the current threshold for paying tax is for pensioners but think it's around 12 k), and they are discussing doing away with the pension triple lock which Johnson pledged in his manifesto to maintain.

Claire Moran ● 2362d

So, even now, we're getting mixed messages and lack of clarity.

Micki Hawkes ● 2362d

Not using our Freedom Pass until after 9:30am wouldn't be much of a problem, but not being able to get back at the end of the afternoon would be a challenge - not that there's anywhere we could go at the moment.

Peter Evans ● 2362d

As the holder of a freedom pass, I have absolutely no wish to go anywhere on public transport at the moment.

Ken Munn ● 2362d

Those who have no choice but to return to the workplace will likely need to travel at peak time at least at one end of their day. We may not want to use public transport but there is no alternative if cycling isn’t an option and your place of work is too far to walk twice a day in all weathers.

Joy Griffiths ● 2362d

FWIW I was walking over the Wellesley Road bridge just S of Gunnersbury Stn at 1005 this morning when a city-bound district line train pulled in. I could see only 4 people on the train (may well have been a few more, but not many). At Gunnersbury nobody got on and nobody got off. Overcrowding appears not to be a problem at that time of day.

Ken Munn ● 2361d

"Overcrowding appears not to be a problem at that time of day"Thank you, Ken, for that in-depth report of a single train. Loaded with lots of information you've tried to pass on as fact. Stamp it with a TfL logo and you'll have yourself some data."May well have been a few more, but not many" What, precisely, does that mean?

David Lesniak ● 2361d

"May well have been a few more, but not many" What, precisely, does that mean?It means there may have been a few more, but not many.

Ken Munn ● 2361d

I've heard that there were about 60,000 on the Tube network at 07:00 this morning, compared with 40,000 at the same time last week.  That's still very low compared with the 800,000 it would be normally.

Al Webber ● 2361d