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16
Sept
Town council to lobby Mayor of North Yorkshire over disabled bus pass restrictions
Harrogate Town Council is set to lobby the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire over time restrictions on disabled bus passes.
Cllr Josie Craven, who represents Kingsley ward and is diagnosed deaf, tabled a motion to a full council meeting in Harrogate last week.
The motion sought to lobby the mayor over restrictions on disabled bus passes, which have a 9:30am start time under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.
Cllr Craven argued that the limit should be scrapped as it restricts when disabled people can travel, for example to work or to school, and is unfair and discriminatory.
She said there have been occasions where she could not use the pass to travel to a job interview because it was not valid before 9.30am.
She said:
All of this told me that I was worth less.
The motion, which was supported by town councillors, will see Cllr Chris Aldred, Mayor of Harrogate, write to David Skaith, Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, to raise the issue over time restrictions on passes.
Councillors said Mr Skaith would be able to lobby government ministers to change the restrictions.
It comes as Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, secured a vote on the matter in the House of Commons.
MPs voted on an amendment to the bus services bill on September 10 to remove the time restriction. However, the amendment was voted down by 300 votes to 69.
Mr Gordon said:
This isn’t good enough. I’m incredibly grateful for the support of campaigners, charities, and the 68 MPs who stood with me. And I want to be clear: this campaign doesn’t end here. I will keep fighting until disabled people have the fair, accessible transport they rightfully deserve.
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