The Greater Manchester branch of the Fire Brigades Union, the trades union representing our area's Firefighters, and the Manchester Community & Mental Health Branch of UNISON, are two more local trades union branches who have joined us since our last update, in calling for Free Public Transport for everyone in Greater Manchester. This in addition to supporting the call for the introduction of a similar policy throughout the country as a whole at the earliest possible opportunity.

We warmly welcome the support of all these organisations, which is indicative of the growing grassroots support for what we are fighting for generally across Greater Manchester, and will be looking to add hundreds of other trades union branches and community organisations to this growing list of supporters in the month's ahead.

Following on from our recent report that Dai Davies MP for Blaenau Gwent, is now advocating free public transport for Wales, the Greater Manchester CfFPT have been in contact with him and he has indicated that he wants to work with us to achieve our common aim of free public transport for everyone throughout the country.

His parliamentary researcher, Paul Starling, has already proposed a number of ideas for the campaign, including a private member's bill, a two year campaign strategy, and a research project.

This is potentially a big step forward as far as the development of a national campaign is concerned and CfFPT Chair, Roy Wilkes is to meet up with Dai and Paul in London early in June to discuss how we might take the campaign forward nationally along the lines proposed.

Whilst there was unanimous support expressed for the proposal of a research project to ascertain the cost of implementing such a policy nationally, which is very much in keeping with the proposal of Glasgow UNISON to the forthcoming UNISON Conference, for a similar UNISON/PCS research project (also reported by us recently) and for raising the issue in Parliament via a private member's bill, Greater Manchester CfFPT supporters believe that this should not be to the detriment of developing a national campaign of action on the issue throughout the country.

As a consequence, one of the proposals Roy will be taking to the London meeting will be for a national Conference on the issue with the aim of launching a united campaign of action for free public transport throughout England, Scotland & Wales.

Check out this web site for a report of this initial meeting and all subsequent developments.

In stark contrast to Greater Manchester transport chiefs who sought to tackle the problem via a peak time congestion charge on hard pressed commuters, City bosses in Zagreb have introduced free public transport to help cut car numbers in the Croatian capital.

Public transport in the wider Zagreb downtown area became free of charge as of Tuesday 5th May 2009, a policy which also encourages residents to park their cars in public garages outside the centre.

Interestingly enough Zagreb Municipal Transit System (ZET) Head Ivan Tolic said: "The city's finances would not be hurt by the new measure." a fact which should surely warrant investigation by the new Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority, and which can only strengthen our own case, that this is the road we should go down here.

Well done Zagreb!

According to The Observer, Sunday 26 April 2009, Ministers are under increasing pressure to impose restrictions on free bus passes for pensioners after a leading transport operator warned that giving old people a "blank cheque" for travel is financially unsustainable.

The free bus pass, a key benefit for 11 million over-60s, costs £1bn a year, but is the cause of mounting tension between local authorities and bus operators. Both sides say it is inadequately funded and the financial strain has increased since it was extended to allow pensioners to travel anywhere in the UK - prompting two friends to travel more than 500 miles by bus from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Land's End last year.

Keith Ludeman, Chief Executive of Go-Ahead Group, whose services operate in London, Oxford, Brighton and the north-east, told the Observer: "The government has stated that the pass must become a smart card [similar to London's Oyster card]. Like any card, it can be limited with a certain amount of value and that seems a reasonable move. Pensioners cannot be given a blank cheque."

Help the Aged rejected the call for restrictions, claiming that the pass is vital for tackling one of the least publicised problems among the elderly - isolation. "One in eight old people would describe themselves as isolated and lonely and transport is key to assuaging that. Limiting the card could undermine the progress that we have made," said David Sinclair, the charity's head of policy.

Ludeman warned that routes popular with the elderly would have to be cut if changes were not made. "It ends up with the perverse result that you reduce mileage on some routes."

Bus operators in tourist areas such as north Norfolk and the south coast have had to put on extra services in order to cope with the increased demand from adventurous pensioners. The government has already barred pass-holders from hundreds of services by banning their use on coaches and open-top bus tours.

Stagecoach, Britain's biggest bus operator, has cut services in Worthing - where a quarter of the population is over 60 - after surging demand left it with a £2m funding gap.

Local authorities are also concerned about the financial demands of ferrying millions of pensioners around the UK. The Local Government Association warned last year that 30 councils planned to cut services or raise taxes in order to fund the scheme.

The £1bn bus pass fund is operated by local authorities who compensate bus operators for every elderly passenger, with some bus companies receiving less than half the fare. This has prompted complaints that bus operators' profits are being whittled away as full-paying passengers are squeezed off services.

Privately, bus companies are highly critical of the scheme, and one proposal circulating in the industry would see pensioners charged a fee of around 10p for every £1 trip.

"Everyone knows that the concessionary fares scheme as it currently operates is unsustainable," said one bus industry source. "Local authorities have issues over whether they have adequate funding from government and bus operators are not properly reimbursed."

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said there were no plans to limit the scheme. "The government is proud of its concessionary travel policy. A recent survey suggests around 95% of people support the England-wide concession and we have no plans to limit it."

A group of Bolton youngsters are leading an internet revolution against an increase in bus fares for teenagers.

Pupils from Canon Slade School have helped set up a Facebook group, which has more than 7,000 members, calling on transport chiefs to reassess the price hike, which has seen concessionary bus fares rise from 70p to 80p.

On the 7th April they lobbied for change outside the Greater Manchester Passenger Executive (GMPTE) offices in Manchester city centre, by asking passers-by to sign a petition.

Joshua Martin, aged 16, Jon Smith, aged 15, Robert Hull, aged 14, and Andrew Beasley, aged 13, were among the group. Andrew said: "We were on the bus to school and a driver mentioned the fares were going to rise by 10p. We had a look on the website and found out it was true. That means we will have to pay an extra £1 a week each.

"When my sister, who is now in Year 11, joined the school the fares were 40p so they have doubled in five years."

The rise came into effect on Sunday and affects children under 16, students aged 16 to 19 with a scholar's permit, pensioners and disabled people who travel before 9.30am.

The pupils say the increase is unreasonable in the current climate. They were so outraged at the rise that Jon set up the group, which he called "Against the increase of bus fares." He said: "We just felt the price had gone up too much and we are worried it may go up even more. We thought setting up a group on Facebook would be a good place to start."

Cllr Norman Critchley, the Bolton spokesman for the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA), said: "I hope they will make their voices known to the authority by presenting their petition at our next meeting and request the matter is looked into again.

"The GMITA budget is paid for by the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester. It funds concessionary fares and subsidised bus routes. This year we had to spread it more thinly, which led to the 10p rise, but there may be a better way of doing it."

See the Bolton school kids story in the Bolton News: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/
4274748.Pupils_lead_protest_against_bus_fare_rises/

Check out/join their Facebook Group at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65118056572

Despite the miserable weather, Manchester's 2009 May Day March was larger and more vocal than last year's, but still very much a shadow of the Manchester May Day Marches of old.

Over a 1000 people, including supporters of the Greater Manchester Campaign for Free Public Transport took part in the event which concluded with a Hope Not Hate Music Festival at the Castlefield arena.

For video footage of the event go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbJ0zGQPslY

Well done everyone who turned up to the thing and to the Trades Council for organising it.