Wokingham Lib-Dem Dismay at Tory Bungling of Travel Token Distribution
April 9, 2009 12:00 PM
Wokingham Liberal Democrats have reacted angrily to the way Wokingham Borough Council has organised the distribution of free travel tokens to elderly and disabled people.
Councillor Stephen Conway (Deputy Leader of the Wokingham Borough Lib Dem Councillor Group and councillor for Twyford ward) says, "Not content with preventing most pensioners aged 60 - 69 from receiving travel tokens, the Conservatives at Wokingham Borough Council have now tried to make it more difficult to collect tokens for those who are still able to have them.
"In the past, the tokens were distributed at local collection points throughout the borough. This year, the Executive has insisted that the tokens have to be collected from the council offices in Wokingham only."
Stephen Conway said that many elderly residents have been put to considerable trouble to collect their tokens, and many others have probably been deterred from collecting them at all. On Monday (6th April) queues of elderly and disabled people stretched out the door at the council offices and many people were distressed because they had to wait in the queue so long.
Cllr Conway added, "The Conservatives have never liked the travel tokens, and this lack of consideration for some of the most vulnerable people in our community is seen by some as a deliberate attempt to stop people claiming their tokens. No doubt in the future the Conservatives will claim that as fewer people are choosing tokens, they can be cut further!"
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And Prue Bray has sent the following letter to the Wokingham Times:
Dear Sir
Contrary to Councillor Stanton's claims in the Wokingham Times last week, the council's Overview & Scrutiny committee most certainly did not recommend having only one distribution point this year for the collection of free travel tokens for the over-70s and disabled.
The committee recommended using libraries, schools and town and parish council offices across the borough - a recommendation which was ignored by the Conservatives.
As for Councillor Stanton's view that the distribution of the tokens was managed "brilliantly well", he should have been in the council offices on Monday 6th April, when there was a queue of unhappy people stretching out of the door.
The Liberal Democrats are pressing for a review of the distribution arrangements so that elderly and disabled people don't have to go through the same ordeal next year.
Yours faithfully
Councillor Prue Bray
Leader of the Lib Dem Opposition
Wokingham Borough Council
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