A Dundee carer has criticised the roll-out of the council’s new members-only bus service after an end to discounted taxi fares for the disabled.
Community campaigner John Bisset said he has been bombarded with concerns from worried carers and disabled users of the taxicard scheme, which is set to end on March 31.
The council’s revenue budget estimates that around £150,000 per year will be saved by scrapping the scheme, which entitled users to £2 off taxi journeys.
The local authority has pledged that £50,000 of this will now be reinvested in the new initiative, the first part of which was launched yesterday named Blether Buses.
It introduces two council mini buses that will deliver a hail and ride service in Dryburgh/Lochee and Clepington/Stobswell.
Although the council is not describing the new service as a ‘replacement’ scheme, it has been launched just under one week before the end of the taxi discount programme.
John said: “I know of so many people who are going to be affected by this and they don’t know how it is going to work.
“I have tried to find out more information about it but I keep coming up against a brick wall.
“It’s less than a week before the taxicard scheme ends and I and many others have no idea how the schemes will work.”
The new Blether Bus service is part of a package of measures that council chiefs say will improve choice for travellers in and around the city.
An easy-on service provided by Scottish Blue is also being launched using its wheelchair accessible minibuses.
For £5 it offers a door-to-door service to anywhere in Dundee collecting passengers from their home address and taking them to a destination of their choosing.
John, however, fears the new services may not be suitable.
He said: “Ask the disabled people in Dundee who use the service, as well as taxi drivers, what they think.
“There should be some kind of consultation with the people this will affect.
“In this new easy-on scheme, each journey might take hours as they have to drop off different people. How will so many people be assisted by one driver?
“Are they going to pull over each time someone needs help?
“They think they are going to save money but they will cause so much stress to those who currently use the taxicard service.”
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “As well as improvements in bus service accessibility, the launch of Easy-On and the development of new services using the council’s in-house fleet it is important to recognise that taxis will still be available.
“The ending of the Taxicard scheme will not directly affect the availability of taxis. It does however remove the existing £2 discount.
“More information on some of the alternative modes of travel can be found at https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/service-area/city-development/make-connections-blether-bus and via the flyers being delivered door to door in the areas it serves as well as at https://scottishblue.com/.
“There have also been stories in the local media with information on the transport choices for older people and people with disabilities.”
