National Express West Midlands is introducing a £1 single fare for senior citizens to travel before their free concessionary pass is valid at 0930hrs. The change starts on 2 January.
The operator “has worked closely” with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the transport arm of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to make the fare possible.
About 20% of the West Midlands population is made up of senior citizens – higher than the UK average of 17%. Over 500,000 pensioners qualify for this new pre-0930 £1 single fare.
Cllr Roger Lawrence, lead member for transport on the WMCA and leader of City of Wolverhampton Council says: “This is yet another example of how our Bus Alliance partnership with National Express is helping to keep fares as low as possible and in this case actually reduce them.
“TfWM already provides older and disabled people with free travel after 0930 on not just buses but also local trams and trains.
“This new £1 single fare will provide an extra helping hand for many older people, especially those on lower incomes, who need to travel by bus earlier in the day.
“The work we have done with National Express to introduce this £1 single fare also means there is no extra cost to local taxpayers, so it really is good news all round.”
Walsall Councillor Richard Worrall, of the WMCA Transport Delivery Committee, said: “I'd like to say well done to the campaigners of West Midlands Pensioners' Convention, and a huge thank you to the management of National Express West Midlands and officers of Transport for West Midlands who have worked together to enable this significant widening of the travel options of the nearly half-million older and disabled citizens of the West Midlands who hold concessionary travel passes."
"I hope that other bus operators who do not presently offer this fare will now follow suit so that there is an 'early bird' £1 single flat fare on Mondays-Fridays for all concessionary pass holders on all buses in the West Midlands."
