From tomorrow morning (Friday 27 March), older and disabled people will be able to use their bus passes before 9.30am on weekdays for free travel in Cumbria.
Cumbria County Council is changing the current rules on concessionary passes in the county to help older and vulnerable people access the early priority shopping hours provided by supermarkets. The change will initially apply until the end of July 2020.
We hope this gesture will enable pensioners and disabled people who have no other option but to go shopping, to do so at quieter times, reducing their risk of catching the Coronavirus from larger groups.
People travelling on public transport are asked to follow Government guidance on social distancing to protect themselves.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said: “I am pleased the county council, working with bus operators in Cumbria, has been able to make this change, which supports our wider efforts to protect older and vulnerable people from coronavirus. But there are other measures in place to allow vulnerable people to stay at home and receive shopping there, I’d hope this would only be used as a last resort.”
The current rules, which have been waived, prevent concessionary passes being used before 9.30am on week days, so that older people don’t travel during the rush hour.
