Council Backs Lib Dems in Supporting Young People

4.23.28pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 22nd Jul 2009

Councillor Alan Gloak today challenged the cabinet member for Environment, Anthony Trollope-Bellew, to consider an issue for young people in the county who go on to further education, thereby bettering their chances of getting a job. Young people over sixteen have to pay an average £550 for a bus season ticket, which is part-subsidised by the County Council.

If however, they lose the ticket - as they sometimes do - they have to incur the cost of another and occasionally the 'lost' ticket is fraudulently used. (To insure it would cost a prohibitive £40.)

This could all be solved by the introduction of a form of Oyster card (already used in Somerset) but the embedded information is of no use whilst there is no reader on the buses. However, if the bus companies could introduce the system now, rather than in 2010/11 the county and district councils could show a saving of around £1.5m as this reader could also be used by senior citizens.

In response, Cllr. Trollope-Bellew said he welcomed this proposal and would look into introducing this sooner rather than later in conjunction with Transporting Somerset. They could help by providing an up-front loan to the twelve or so bus companies and the system could be up and running much earlier.

Cllr. Alan Gloak said of the decision:

"I was delighted with this outcome and will inform the young people of Glastonbury at a meeting this evening. It's tough enough signing up for further education and training these days, without having added stress in terms of travelling to and from the place where you're studying."