Laverty, AA

English

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I’M OVER 65, BUT I DON’T NEED A DISCOUNTED BUS FAREBus fare discounts for senior citizens should be takenand usedAnthony A Laverty research fellowDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RP, UKAs a 32 year old full bus fare payer, I am heartened to readClarfield’s concern over whether benefits for his generation aredooming the rest of us.1 But he need not give himself such ahard time, and I hope that data from the English free bus passscheme for older people offer him some comfort.Free bus travel for people over 60 has been offered in Englandsince 2006. It costs about £1bn a year and is aimed at reducingsocial exclusion among this potentially marginalised group.2Potential inequalities resulting from the scheme are of coursea concern, but within this age group both possession and use ofthe bus pass are similar across markers of socioeconomicstatus.3 4 Associations with physical activity and adiposity havealso been noted, so it is possible that if you keep people healthyhealthcare costs may be reduced for all of us. Owing tobudgetary pressures, and perhaps the cohort of healthier olderpeople Clarfield mentions, the age of eligibility is rising, suchthat it will be 66 by 2020. Suggestions of moving away from auniversal scheme towards means testing were rejected on thebasis that the universality of the scheme was one of the mainbenefits in terms of promoting a sense of inclusion andbelonging in society.Whether such schemes threaten intergenerational solidarity ismore difficult to judge, but Clarfield should still use his busdiscounts with impunity. Such schemes potentially have benefitson social inclusion and health and their universality can beimportant in realising their value.5Whether these benefits extendto discounts at the cinema, however, remains anunder-researched area, and further work is needed by researchersof all ages.Competing interests: I have conducted research on the free bus passfor older people in England.1 Clarfield AM. I’m over 65, but I don’t need a discounted bus fare. BMJ 2016;352:i1365.doi:10.1136/bmj.i1365 pmid:26961702.2 Butcher L. Buses: concessionary fares. Standard Note: SN1499. House of CommonsLibrary 2013. http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn01499.pdf.3 Webb E. Sponsoring public transport and health in older people.Maturitas 2015;81:239-40.doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.03.011 pmid:25864131.4 Coronini-Cronberg S, Millett C, Laverty AA, Webb E. The impact of a free older persons’bus pass on active travel and regular walking in England. Am J Public Health2012;102:2141-8. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300946 pmid:22994251.5 Green J, Jones A, Roberts H. More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobilityand wellbeing of older citizens in London. Ageing Soc 2014;34:472-94. doi:10.1017/S0144686X12001110 pmid:24478532.Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not alreadygranted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissionsa.laverty@imperial.ac.ukFor personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribeBMJ 2016;352:i1702 doi: 10.1136/bmj.i1702 (Published 31 March 2016) Page 1 of 1LettersLETTERS

Bus fare discounts for senior citizens should be taken and used

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Bus fare discounts for senior citizens should be taken and used

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