Published: Thursday, 4th March, 2010 11:48am
OAP anger over ferry fare jump
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Users of the Cumbrae ferry are to be hit with a fares rise this month - and OAP passengers will be charged for the first time.
While concessionary fares are currently free to travel on Caledonian MacBrayne's Largs-Cumbrae route, from April 1st pensioners will see a £1 levy charged on their ticket.
Furthermore, from March 26th, Saver passenger return tickets will rise from £3.10 to £4.05, while Saver car returns will increase from £16.65 to £17.05.
Millport man Stuart McIntyre recently told the 'News': "I am a pensioner and hard-up - it will be difficult to find that money on a regular basis.
However, a spokesman for CalMac said: "The concessionary fare is run by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). One in ten passengers travel on an SPT concessionary fare. Now across the whole of the area it will be a 60p levy one way or £1 on a return."
A spokesperson for SPT confirmed that "financial pressure" on the Concessionary Travel Scheme was discussed at the December meeting of the SPT Partnership Board, with the result that a fares increase of £1 on the Cumbrae ferry was approved "to safeguard the long term future of the scheme".
They added: "Like other public sector organisations, we need to deliver more with less and we are looking at how best to do that. We are endeavouring to secure the long term stability of an enhanced concession scheme within tight financial settlements.
SPT have recently embarked on a series of controversial cost-cutting measures.
After a Freedom of Information request, it emerged last month that senior figures at SPT had claimed more than £100,000 in travel expenses between 2006 and 2009. Financial watchdog Audit Scotland is to investigate the expense claims while the chairman and chief executive have been replaced.
Have your say. .
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largonian
Unregistered User
Mar 4, 12:15
Comment: 9276
Time will come when the "free" travel will have a flat fare as well....never somethng ofr nothing ! If not, then council tax will go up...its to be paid for somehow...
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Douglas Park
Unregistered User
Mar 4, 15:20
Comment: 9289
CalMac have been fleecing residents of Largs & Millport for years making the crossing one of the most expensive in the world, mile for mile. It's ridiculous that they charge for a car and then you have to pay separately as a driver. The hike in prices is not justified or are we paying for the new pier by the back door? Also, why do their multi-buy tickets expire at the end of a year? Millport residents should all get to travel free or heavily subsidised and those in Largs with familial connections should also benefit. Bring back the MV Keppel!
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Victor Meldrew Revisited
Unregistered User
Mar 5, 07:46
Comment: 9307
OAPs should stop moaning about paying a 60p/£1 fare. They should be grateful that they don't pay a full fare like the rest of us do. Oh and the OAPs still have their free bus travel to anywhere in Scotland while we have to pay full fares.
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J Christ
Unregistered User
Mar 5, 10:28
Comment: 9309
Judging by the attitude of most OAPs in this town, they should be able to walk it across to Millport.
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Janice Lamb
Unregistered User
Mar 10, 07:13
Comment: 9401
The people I'm most sorry for are those under pension age on limited income who live on the island, especially those looking for work. I was in that situation myself before retirement, and found it a real struggle to find the ferry and bus fare. At that time there was a reduced rate for residents on the island in the summer when fares are higher anyway - does that still apply?
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Janice Lamb
Unregistered User
Mar 11, 10:11
Comment: 9424
I notice that the ferry fares quoted in this week's Wee Paper are incorrect. I've just downloaded the revised fares leaflet from the Calmac website, and find, in fact, that the Saver fare for passengers will rise to £4.15, non-Saver fare a whopping £4.70. Saver car will be £17.35, non-Saver £20.35.
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moderator
Unregistered User
Mar 11, 16:12
Comment: 9443
As of 11 March, the Cal Mac website states that our original figures for the ferry fares, as stated, are correct.
http://www.calmac.co.uk/Timetables-Fares/summer-timetable.html?id=summer-cumbrae--largs-cumbrae-slip.gif
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Janice Lamb
Unregistered User
Mar 11, 19:18
Comment: 9452
If you go to http://www.calmac.co.uk/Timetables-Fares/timetables.html and click in the link "Revised fares booklet" (it's a .pdf) and look at page 3, you'll find that the rates I quoted are subsequent to the one on the link you quoted. It says specifically "The revised fares for Largs-Cumbrae Slip replace the fares on Table 7 (page 19) of the Summer Timetable and Table 7 (page 21) of Explore 2010. Fares effective 26 March 2010 to 23 October 2010."
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Jackson Graham
Unregistered User
Mar 20, 01:36
Comment: 9660
"Are we paying for the pier by the back door?" - how exactly would you expect Calmac to pay for the pier other than through ticket revenue?
It is a little strange that drivers have to pay seperately, although it has some use in that senior citizens who get free fares (soon to be £1) get a reduced rate when with their car.
I don't think any local (who the 5 journey tickets are designed to benefit) really has any issue with having to use five tickets in a year.....
When we are making mile for mile comparisons, I have often noticed in the past that people tend to forget that the ticket is actually a return, so we are considerably cheaper than the Kyles of Bute or Islay to Jura runs for example.
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