Council taxi token scheme for elderly is scrapped

Now anger has erupted after county council bosses revealed plans to abolish the scheme in April to save £70,000 a year.

Four separate concessionary taxi schemes were run by the now-
abolished district councils in Blyth Valley, Wansbeck, Tynedale and Castle Morpeth.

The new unitary county council inherited them in April last year, and decided to keep them going for another 12 months while a full review was carried out.

The biggest scheme was in Blyth Valley where 600 residents aged 65 and over paid £20 a year for taxi vouchers entitling them to £75 worth of travel. One of those who have used the scheme for years is widow Roberta Thomson, pictured, 73, of Blyth, who suffers from arthritis in her back and leg, is diabetic and has a pacemaker. She uses her vouchers to save on the high cost of taxi trips to visit her severely-disabled step-daughter in Glasgow.

Yesterday she said: "It is a smashing scheme which is a big help for local old people because it lets them get out and about to do their shopping. This cut is not affecting people who use free bus passes so it is taxi users who are being penalised.

"It is people like myself, who need to use taxis because we can't travel on coaches, who will be hit."

Hugh Hurst, boss of Blyth-based Phoenix Taxis, said: "These tokens help elderly people going to hospital or the doctor's with the aid of a stick, zimmer frame or even a wheelchair. There is absolutely no way they can use buses. I believe ending it is a retrograde step because it is very useful for old and vulnerable people."

Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell said: "I am absolutely astonished that the Lib Dem administration on the county council is hitting elderly people who can't get on buses and need these taxi tokens to get them out of the house. How much more can they do to the elderly."

Concessionary taxi travel schemes also operated in Tynedale, Wansbeck and Castle Morpeth, catering for more than 200 people and costing £26,460, £6,000 and £10,000 a year respectively. Coun Andrew Tebbutt, executive member for corporate resources, said the council already spends £4m a year on providing free bus passes for all people over the age of 65, and will explore opportunities for developing community transport across Northumberland.

"In the past, a number of different concessionary taxi travel schemes have been in operation, but these are very limited and not cost-effective. We have to make savings of between £18.7m and £29.9m next year and that means taking some really difficult decisions."