BOLTON & District Pensioners Association wish to respond to the report in your paper, of 19/7/19, “Tram and train OAPs to pay fee”.

Stephen Rhodes customer director at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), announced that Pensioners will have to pay an annual fee of £10 in order to travel on Trains and Trams in Greater Manchester, currently they can travel for free using their Pensioner Bus Pass, on Trains and Trams at off peak times.

The annual charge will come into force early next year 2020, this is subject to approval by the Greater Manchester Combined Authorities (GMCA).

Bolton & District Pensioners call on all ten Council leaders to reject this proposed fee we also call on Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to step in, and stop this totally unfair charge, the State pension in the UK is one of the lowest in Western Europe, and the propose £10 annual charge for Train and Tram travel, comes on the back of the scrapping of the free TV licence for over 75s, we are told by leading Tory Politicians that austerity is at an end, this appears not to be the case for Pensioners.

Alan Johnson

Secretary Bolton & District Pensioners Association