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Half-price bus travel to help unemployed find jobs in the recession

Danny Brierley
14.01.09

THOUSANDS of unemployed Londoners will be entitled to half-price bus and tram travel in a scheme designed to help make it easier for them to find jobs during the recession.

Mayor Boris Johnson today announced that over the next year London's half-price bus and tram travel scheme will be extended to include people claiming jobseeker's allowance as well as those on the new employment and support allowance.

The move, part of the Mayor's economic recovery action plan, will help the unemployed to travel to interviews, job centres and libraries.

It means that from 1 April eligible Londoners will be entitled to the same half-priced travel concession as those on income support.

About 150,000 people are likely to benefit.

The Mayor said: "The severity of the economic downturn and its sharp impact on Londoners has required urgent practical action.

"I want to do all I can to ease the burden at this time, and have asked TfL to introduce a number of targeted fares reductions and concessions to help those on low incomes who will feel the impact most strongly.

"I want to help the thousands of Londoners who during these tough times will find themselves looking for work, by making it easier for them to get around the city when travelling to interviews and accessing other amenities that will help them find jobs," Mr Johnson added.

The Mayor's office said those eligible for the discount were among the poorest people in London not already eligible for travel concessions, and that Mr Johnson was particularly concerned to help this group through the current economic downturn.

Reader views (9)

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@ steve your clueless were in a recession right now and besides that there are only limited jobs anyway...

- Jay, Balham

Since leaving university I've worked continually. After having kids I went back to work asap. It could be said that I am a workaholic and to find my self unemployed for the first time in my life is no holiday.

I've now been out of work for six months and last week I was forced to humiliate myself by applying for Benefit (I hate the word) it makes me sound like trash. It is the most humiliating experience i've had in a while, and being treated like 2nd class citizen by someone who can't even speak properly just adds to the humiliating experience.

The measly about I MIGHT be 'eligible' for does not even cover my weekly shopping bills, so any help with travel to get to interviews would be hugley beneficial.

I can't believe anyone would want to put themselves through this. So you lucky people that have managed to keep your jobs consider yourself lucky because I feel like c**p.

- Se London, London

I have recently been made redundant and actively seeking a new job... London is tough at this time and I wish anyone all the luck in getting a new one!! (It is an employers market and when you have high level business professionals taking a step down how do you think that competes against someone early in their career?!) Whilst I agree with the usual stereotype of those claiming long term benefits you have to be aware that not all people currently claiming are lazy. During a recession this is a ridiculous and fascist statement! A lot of hard working people are jobless and are working darn hard to get a new role. As for the reduced bus fare - I would be interested in learning what constitutes as 'eligable'. As it stands it is hard enough to get any help (a legitimate claim from those who have worked and contributed) it is made so very difficult and you feel guilty just stepping foot in the job centre door... For anyone with any moral standing I assure you it is a depleting experience. As for the cheap bus fare - it is merely a drop in the ocean.

- B, London

There is absolutely no excuse for any able bodied person living in London to be unemployed.These are professional shirkers.Some have realised also that you're actually better off on benefits.
Still,the free travel will come in handy for those who actually do get out of bed.

- Steve, London

More freebies for the unemployed, some are getting more than a working person, about time employed people got something free out of this system, I can't see them using the travel consession to go to job interviews more like shopping trips. Come on Boris give everyone half price travel, we are after all an equal opportunities country.

- A, Battersea

In principle it's good to see the mayor offering half-price travel for the unemployed however, is this to apply to all unemployed people or the ones that show they are really actively looking for work? There are scores of long term unemployed or people on income support especially migrants, aylum seekers and refugees. Whose level of English is so poor that they think they'll never get a job and have for a long time been receiving benefits, they would welcome another handout form this country.

Why doesn' this govenment impose compulsory English language lesson such as ESOL for Work for foreign who are receiving benefits. This woould help them become more active in seeking employment. It would also create more jobs for teachers. Subsidised travel should be given to the ones that are actively looking for work and not indiscriminately.

- Max, London-Lambeth

First it was children who were given free travel on buses, and who now treat them as free mobile youth clubs, with predictable noise and mayhem.

Then pensioners were given free travel before 9am so they too could clog up the buses for commuters, presumably to rush to the post office in time to collect their pensions.

And now the workshy are to be given half-price travel at taxpayers' expense. How many interviews do they need to go to? Why can't they walk?! They should have plenty of time on their hands...

- C Harrison, London

I have to pay for my own travel if I go for my job interviews. Nice one. My vote will go to the Conservatives if I could!!

- Georgie, Islington, London

From your article above, is this an accurate statement? . . . "It means that from 1 April eligible Londoners will be entitled to the same half-priced travel concession as those on income support."

Wasn't this concession to those on income support abandoned last year?

- Fraser, Telford Park


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