Free flexible transport

Cheshire East Council's Cabinet has voted in favour of free flexible transport for holders of concessionary bus passes across the whole Borough.

From now on concessionary bus pass holders can access Dial-a-Ride services in Crewe, Nantwich, Congleton and the southern rural outskirts.

The decision was approved at the Cabinet meeting on June 25th after it emerged that people in the north of the Borough were able to use their concessionary pass on the service but those in the south were having to pay.

The disparity arose following the collapse of East Cheshire Community Transport, who ran Dial-a-Ride in the south, and Cheshire East Council's subsequent move to resurrect the service as soon as possible.

The leader of Cheshire East Council Councillor Michael Jones said he wanted to see equality between north and south.

He said: "It was obvious that this was grossly unfair to the people in the south and if not rectified, would have created a postcode lottery whereby people are treated differently merely by accident of where they lived in the Borough.

"Everyone should be treated equally which is why my Cabinet voted in favour of rectifying this anomaly."

The Cabinet considered three options recommended by officers and voted in favour of the restoration of usage of the bus pass on flexible transport across the entire Borough.

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