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Dear Editor,

Hurrah for the good news that young people at Shepway schools will be the next to benefit from the Freedom Pass that gives unlimited travel on scheduled bus services for just £50 a year.

After three successful pilots in the Canterbury, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells districts, Kent County Council is rolling the scheme out countywide with the aim that all areas will be covered by June 2009. But we don’t have to wait that long in Shepway as we are in the next phase which starts in June 2008.

The aim of the scheme is to cut the number of cars on the school run, reduce congestion and pollution as well as opening up more activities for young people in their free time. It will also be a great boon to families whose children don’t qualify for free school transport.

Astonishingly the Shepway LibDems have been trying to claim credit for the Freedom Pass coming to our area on the basis that they raised a question about it at a Shepway District Council meeting last year. Just a minute! Aren’t Shepway District Council and Kent County Council quite separate bodies? And does asking a question give you ownership of someone else’s work? The idea of the Freedom Pass was first launched by Conservative led Kent County Council in 2005 and the phasing of the roll out has also been a Conservative led Kent County Council decision. If Shepway LibDems are so keen on the Freedom Pass they might at least have the decency to congratulate Conservative led Kent County Council on the scheme and stop pretending that they have had anything to do with either the idea itself or its timing.

I hope the Freedom Pass will be as popular in the Shepway area as it has been in the pilot areas and that we can all rejoice in its success.

Susan Carey
Member for Elham Valley
Kent County Council

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