Anger as taxi token scheme for elderly is scrapped
Jan 29 2010 by David Black, The Journal
A CUT-PRICE travel scheme for elderly and disabled people who are too frail to use buses looks set to become a victim of tough council budget cuts in Northumberland.
More than 800 vulnerable pensioners across the county use the scheme, which allows them concessionary travel in taxis because they are unable to use other forms of public transport.
They use council-issued vouchers, tokens or passes to pay for taxi trips to the shops, GP and hospital appointments or to visit relatives and friends.
Now anger has erupted after county council bosses revealed plans to abolish the scheme in April to save £70,000 a year.
Four separate concessionary taxi schemes were run by the now- abolished district councils in Blyth Valley, Wansbeck, Tynedale and Castle Morpeth.
The new unitary county council inherited them in April last year, and decided to keep them going for another 12 months while a full review was carried out.
The biggest scheme was in Blyth Valley where 600 residents aged 65 and over paid £20 a year for taxi vouchers entitling them to £75 worth of travel. One of those who have used the scheme for years is widow Roberta Thomson, 73, of Blyth, who suffers from arthritis in her back and leg, is diabetic and has a pacemaker. She uses her vouchers to save on the high cost of taxi trips to visit her severely-disabled step-daughter in Glasgow.
