Heart of Wales Line Cutback will hit rural OAPs

11.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 12th May 2008

The Assembly Government has this morning announced plans to cut the use of concessionary fare passes on the Heart of Wales line over the summer. Passes, which provide free travel for OAPs and disabled people, will no longer be valid on the line between May and September; instead they will be applicable only during the winter months.

Kirsty Williams AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Transport has described the cutting back of the service as "absolutely outrageous."

The Government has sited overuse and overcrowding of trains on the line as the reason for the reduction of the scheme.

Kirsty said: "The Deputy First Minister is yet again penalising those in rural areas. In other areas concessionary passes will remain valid throughout the summer but OAPs in the rural Heart of Wales area are missing out due to the very success and popularity of the scheme.

"We have called again and again for WAG to invest in additional rolling stock and an extra carriage for the HOWL and yet rather than making a sound investment for the benefit of OAPs in rural areas they have instead chosen to reduce the free service.

"Despite paying lip service to the green agenda the government continues to refuse to invest substantially in public transport and in making it accessible to those most in need. Their policies instead push people into cars through schemes such as free hospital parking."

Notes:

HOWL: Heart of Wales Line