Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has given the clearest indication yet that he’s not about to abandon London politics with a carefully timed intervention on the future of the Freedom Pass.
As Assembly Members prepare to question new Mayor Boris Johnson this Wednesday Mr Livingstone has called on his successor to “announce the immediate implementation of 24 hour operation of the Freedom Pass.”
During the campaign for this year’s Greater London Authority elections Livingstone and Johnson both backed plans for extending the scheme’s operating hours despite a key Johnson backer calling the plan a “mad idea”.
In a statement issued this morning Mr Livingstone said “At Mayor’s Question time on Wednesday there is a question to Boris Johnson on extending the operation of the Freedom Pass to 24 hours a day.”
“The first pledge I made during the Mayoral election campaign, on 15 January, was to make this extension so that the pass can be used around the clock. Boris Johnson was then forced to match it. ”
“There is no reason whatever why the 24 hour extension cannot be implemented immediately as there are no technical obstacles to this and on Wednesday Boris Johnson must therefore honour the pledge extracted from him in the course of the election campaign and announce immediate implementation of 24 hour operation of the Freedom Pass.”
The Freedom Pass scheme is funded and administered by London’s Borough Councils.
Mayor’s Question Time will on Wednesday 21st May at City Hall.
Ian M says
Am I the only one who thinks that encouraging more people onto public transport during the rush hour might not be such a good idea – especially when they are not even going to pay for the trip.
The reason the cut off time exists is to moderate the overcrowding on the networks.
Kevin Davis says
Surely it is for London Councils collectively to decide to fund this – as it is their scheme and not the Mayor’s. If they won’t then Boris or Ken can say what they like.
Martin (Editor) says
Kevin,
You;re right to say the Mayor doesn’t run the scheme but it’s possible to simply allow cards to be used before 9am without seeking any matching funding from London Councils.
I’m not suggesting anyone do that nor am I agreeing with Ken or Boris on this, just pointing out that there’s another way forward.
Mavis Walker says
Did Boris make any announcement about extendingn the freedom pass to 24/7 today. If so when will it happen
ricky says
I can almost guarantee that if Ken was re-elected he would not have implemented the policy this quickly
Joanna Southcott says
I wouldn’t be too sure, Ricky. At last year’s State Of London Debate on 12 May this exchange took place: ”
AUDIENCE MEMBER 8: Mr Mayor, I watched you when you were a counsellor in Lambeth. You mention Bexley, I was the first Sikh councillor elected there in 1978. I think it was a good thing to give free transport to the children, where you have gone wrong is with the older people’s Freedom Pass. I can’t travel before 9 o’clock and it’s a scandal. {Applause}.
KEN: Finally, why should you as a pensioner not have free travel all the time when the kids can? I agree with
you. I will approach the London boroughs and offer a deal so we will abolish the nine o’clock cut off in the
morning, and see if we can do a deal so that you can travel exactly the same as the kids can, free all day.
{Applause}”
Roberta Fulford says
Both Ken Livingston and Boris Johnson pledged that the over 60s’ Freedom Pass will be 24/7. Now that Boris Johnson has been elected, has he honoured his pledge to the electorate? I would be very glad to know. If not, he can hardly be expected to be believed again, nor elected again. As he holidays abroad, one wonders what his true commitment to his new role is.
Ian M: Over 60s do not clog up the transport system. They have no desire to be part of the commuter crush. However, from time to time, they have medical appointments etc scheduled, say for 0900 hours, which necessitates them travelling earlier than they would otherwise do.
And, Ian M, yes, they do pay. They have paid their taxes all their working lives, and continue to pay their Council Taxes. Of course, some over 60s are able to continue working, therefore adding even more tax pounds. So, please, do not be so mean spirited as to think your elders should have no rights. If you live long enough, you might be glad of a similar facility being made to you! As it is said, do as you would be done by. Life for the ill and the elderly is far from easy. Let a spirit of kindness pervade our beautiful city.
Terence says
Yes I recall Boris matching Ken’s 24/7 pledge for freedom pass to be valid.
Yet as a previous respondent said where is Boris now
a few weeks into the job and on holiday.
No sign of the 24/7 pass operating.
The Assembly and former mayor Ken MUST demand Mayor Johnson honour the plan he set out for 24/7 passes
In fact it ought to become a requrement that passes are valid on rail to all network southeast destinations even outside zone 6.
Elizabeth says
On BBC London News in his first interview with them, Mayor Johnson being interviewed by Riz Lateef said
He would introduce the Freedom Pass 24/7 as a promise
When Riz Lateef said by what date–the 1st January 2009 Mayor Johnson said as he bumbled along Yes Yes
So are we to take it that New years Day next year is the date of the 24/7 introduction?
TawkinSenz says
I agree with Ian – whilst it would be nice for the freedom pass to be 24×7 – I think there would have to be some conditions.
1 – People wouldn’t have to give up their seats for elderly people until after 9:30am. If the grey army invade before 9:30 – the rest of us will never see a seat on the tube again!
2 – Post offices would need to start opening later. This problem is exasperated by the closing of local post offices – requiring more pensioners to have to use public transport to get there.
3 – Smelly old men would not be allowed on crowded tubes before 9:30.
4 – The working over 60’s wouldn’t be allowed to participate. I know several people who work in the city who are over 60. Would they be able to commute for free? This would be particually annoying as they are mostly loaded old fellows.
5 – Bad behaviour would result in the removal of the pass (as with the kids). I’ve seen how these pensioners ’cause fear’ on the trains and buses with their mobile phone playing music loudly, their illegal busking and their smoking and fighting.
Seriously though – it wouldn’t be a problem if the rush hour wasn’t so overcrowded already. My fear is that it will encourage pensioners to make journeys in rush hour which could wait until afer 9:30. This will merely cause friction between the commuters and the old folks as speace is already at a premium.
With regard to the back-tracking of Boris, well surely this ie to be expected – after all he is a politician. Maybe we’re just finding out where the ‘savings’ are being made to pay for some of the popularist ideas Boris seems to be chasing at the moment.