A proposal to cut free bus travel for blind and partially sighted people during morning rush hour in Stoke has been criticised by sight loss charities.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council's proposal to remove free bus travel before 9.30am for people currently eligible for a concessionary bus pass has been condemned by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Action for Blind People (Action).
Many blind and partially sighted people in Stoke rely on this element of the concessionary pass to get to work, carry out their roles as volunteers, and attend doctor and hospital appointments.
Sharon Sutton, of Beaconsfield Drive, Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, has the eye condition diabetic retinopathy and is partially sighted.
Getting to work
Sharon works at Action for Blind People's Stoke office as an administrator and uses the bus to get to work. With only 34 per cent of blind and partially sighted people are in work, she is stunned the council plans to place restrictions on her journey to work when so many people with sight loss are struggling to find employment (1).
She said: "The Government's saying get disabled people into work; then this happens. I've got a problem with my foot so I have to get the bus because I can't walk very far."
Sharon incurs extra costs due to her sight condition and other related health problems.
Financial strain
"If I'm forced to pay to travel before 9.30am, it would put a financial strain on me. I would have to make some difficult decisions. For example, I feel cold all the time so want the heating on longer than most people. I also have to have specialist foods for hypo treatments such as glucose tablets, and the lights in my home have to be turned on as soon as it goes dim outside. This all adds up," she added.
Sharon would not be able to wait until after 9.30am, when free travel would begin, because she'd arrive late for work.
Minimal cost to council
The cost to the council would be minimal, says Sharon, due to the small numbers of blind or partially sighted people wanting to travel before 9.30am.
Rebecca Swift, RNIB Regional Campaigns Officer for the West Midlands, said: "If this proposal were to go ahead, many people would find the costs of travelling before 9.30am too expensive, limiting how often they could travel before that time.
"Sole means of transport"
"Blind and partially sighted people, in particular, rely on bus travel as their sole means of transport within their community, as they don't have the option of driving a car and are unable to fund repeated taxi journeys."
Staffordshire County Council offers free bus travel to concessionary pass holders 24/7. If the proposal is approved it will mean pass holders in Stoke will be at a disadvantage to other residents within the county.
MP support
Stoke MPs Tristram Hunt and Rob Flello have both contacted the council and objected to the proposal.
The council has already cut funding to another important service for blind and partially sighted people - the Talking Book Service, in addition to now charging people £10 per year for a companion pass which used to be free.
The cabinet will meet to discuss the proposal this Thursday (9 February, 2012) with the final decision due at Full Council on 23 February.
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Notes to Editors:
For more information or to arrange interviews contact Emma Mercer, RNIB Senior Public Relations Officer, on 020 7391 2085 or emma.mercer@rnib.org.uk Out of hours call 07968 482812.
For further information about Action for Blind People, please contact Chris Dyson on 0207 635 4921 or 07739 819 954 or Christopher.dyson@actionforblindpeople.org.uk
(1) Network 1000 study: 2008 secondary analysis of the labour force survey.
RNIB
Every day around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are almost 2 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
Action for Blind People
Action for Blind People is a national charity with local reach, providing practical help and support to blind and partially sighted people of all ages. Our close relationship with RNIB enables us to provide a unique combination of complementary strengths and expertise to help an ever increasing number of people with sight loss. www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk
If abbreviating "Action for Blind People", please use "Action" rather than AFBP or ABP.