Keighley campaigners (From Keighley News)

Keighley campaigners

11:50am Friday 5th February 2010

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Disabled people have presented a petition to Bradford Council calling for free bus travel.

People First groups in Keighley and Bradford collected more than 1,400 signatures to support their campaign.

Members, who are all local people with learning disabilities, addressed councillors.

They told the politicians why existing free bus passes should be extended to cover all hours of the day.

Metro’s Disabled Person’s Pass currently entitles holders to free travel all weekend but only after 9.30am on weekdays.

The campaigners want to be able to use them during peak hours, to get to work and to doctors’ appointments.

The campaign has been spearheaded by Bradford People First, with Keighley members collecting extra signatures in the town centre. People First treasurer Tommy Redgrift said: “The support for us has been really good.

“We want to go to the doctors’ before 9.30am. We want to get to work and we can’t do that at the moment.”

Bradford councillor Chris Greaves, deputy chairman of Metro, said the passenger transport authority should get more money from the Government and cannot afford to extend the hours of free travel for disabled people.

He said: “It is not economically viable. If we were to do it the direct cost would have been a couple of million pounds, so we are then looking at a couple of per cent added on to council tax. The costs are absolutely huge.

“Metro is doing its best to look at helping people who have access problems. Internet shopping, changing appointments or taking the service to the person may help in certain cases.

“Money is incredibly tight and it will get tighter.

“We ask that the Government makes sure West Yorkshire gets the same level of funding as the rest of the country.”

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