Dingles get better treated
 

There are local bus services that have operated from Hyndburn
for the past 15 years that have been well patronised especially by pensioners.
to Morecambe and Southport in the summer,
and to Blackpool, Cleveleys and Fleetwood all year round.

They are bus services with an X number, so they are scheduled services, not 'day trips'

I have been a regular user and they have often been full before the last pickup in Blackburn.

I have a disabled pass so could go for £1 return - non disabled pensiomers paid £5.00.

Last year our Hyndburn council made special concessions for the X82 Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Blackpool bus enabling Hyndburn pensioners and disabled to use it at the special rate of £1.

From April it will now cost us £!2 - so most pensioners won't be able to afford a day trip .

I expected that when the new NOWcard takes effect in a few weeks time in April, that these services, like all others , would be free......NOT SO....The County Council have decided that these well patronised local services to the coast will not be included in the free Nowcard scheme.

DISGRACE ---- :mad:

There is a service to the Fylde coast from the Burnley area which WILL be free

DISCRIMINATION in favour of Dingles -- never thought I'd see that.:mad:

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

i have heard tonight that from April, you can use them to anywhere in the country?:confused:

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

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Well peeved :mad:

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Hyndburn Pensiomers can't go direct to Blackpool using a Nowcard even though there is a bus
SHAME!!!

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The letter of complaint I wrote to the county council about the discrimination Dingles receive on Accyweb worked then :p

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Is this a ploy to get Hyndburn pensioners to visit Burnley FREE
so that we can get on YOUR Blackpool bus FREE

which just happens to be operated by the takeover mogul TRANSDEV

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Cheat go to preston then get on another bus.;)

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There is a DIRECT bus -- why can't we use it? £12!!!

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ya can if ya want,pay more otherwise Cheat.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

I read somewhere if there isnt a bus stop for 15 miles it isnt rated as a 'local' route and so you cant use the now card on it. Something to do with the National Express routes eg going from preston to london for free you cant do that. I have a disabled nowcard as well margaret.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

It appears rather suspicious to me that a similar service operated by TRANSDEV from Burnley is included in the Nowcard concession, and our local firm operating from West End isn't

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so whats this i was told tonight- ya can go anywhere?:confused:from april

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The 'X' routes are rated as the old national express routes. I learnt that when i was working at rossendale transport cos they took over doing blackpool and southport routes.

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So this scheme allows us to visit Blackburn Burnley and Preston on a slow stopping bus and not much else --- BIG DEAL! :rolleyes:

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NowCard: The Smart Card for Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Cumbria

There that tells you all about it.

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So you would rather pay half fare margaret instead of getting it free.

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That page is a recent addition to the site and many pensioners were misled into expecting more.
I can see now that the '15 mile with no stops' applies.

So for all those coachloads of Hyndburn pensioners who have enjoyed our coast for 15 years --- SOREEEEE - not any longer

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I don't SHOP' - Blackburn and Burnley have no attraction for a day out.
It was healthy to get a blast of sea air a couple of times a week - not possible anymore :mad:
because by the time you have detoured via Preston a lot of the day is gone.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

Its not a recent addition its been there at least for the last three months. Thats where i read it - and ive only had my nowcard since december and its been there for as long as ive been visiting the site

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

The page showing the 15 miles rule hasn't been there that long

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ok we will agree to disagree margaret hows that?

I know where i read it at least 2 months ago but if you say its a recent addition then i'll go along with what you say.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

if the now cards can be used on the x4 & x64 in the burnley area why not in the hyndburn area on the x82-x27-x100 the buses do just the same run and they are all classed as express services

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

In the L E Telegraph
News for Blackburn, Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley * Rossendale
I have added a comment on similar lines as this thread and the operator of our local coast service has responded thus-

Posted by: Shireen Haydock, Blackburn on 10:46am today
As the Transport Manager for Coastlinks Express, I would like to inform all of the passengers who have been using our coastal services, that we are not giving up and are fighting to get Lancashire County Council to make an enhancement to the Concessionary Travel Scheme to enable our services to become eligible. We believe that our services provide a lifeline for senior citizens. If you would like to help us by making your comments known to Lancashire County Council, please email me;fyrefieldltd@btco nnect.co.uk

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

Pensioners whinge about every price rise, except one. Why do you never hear a pensioner moaning when the bingo parlour puts its prices up?

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

That might be because I for one, do not play Bingo....but I do use public Transport....and maybe when you are a pensioner, you will appreciate that we have to make the pennies count.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

so does the 15 mile rule apply to the Manchester route?
Or are the NOW cards still being accepted on that service? (Excuse me for being thick)

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When I used that Manchester bus last year - I didn't think that there was 15 miles between adjacent stops so maybe OK

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are you right about the price £ 12 is a big jump from £1 return.
i think that my mate mick and the rest of the drivers better pay a visit to the job center.
has eny one had the price confirmed by the company? i have looked to see if they have a website but cant find one.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

The full price until April is £10 -pensioners pay half £5, disabled pay £1.

Until April Hyndburn council arranged to subsidise the cost of one of the routes (X82) down to £1 for pensioners living in Hyndburn

The company plan a price increase from £10 to £12 from April.
The concessions for the disabled (£1return) and half fare for pensioners are being replaced by the Nowcard which gives no reduction whatsoever to the £12 price.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

thanks for the info margaret that makes sense.

i have just priced up the fare with british rail £11-60 rt

take your pick no differance.

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If you get a senior railcard - £24 a year you get a discount of a third which will bring the price down to £6.85 return for a pensioner on the train.

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You did well there. British Rail was privatised by the conservatives and ceased to exist in 1996.;)

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If its a County Council thing Margaret why not contact your County Councillor Dorothy Westell? Here is her contact details

I am sure she will be able to explain what is going on. If not she will be able to get the answers you want.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

I have great admiration for Councillor Westell but since the owner of Coastlinks Express is already in active discussion with the transport people at County level, I will not be asking her to intervene.

The railway option is not a suitable alternative because -
There is no rail service to Cleveleys and Fleetwood.
The rail service to Southport involves 2 changes (at Blackburn and Bolton)
I haven't looked at the service to Morecambe but doubt very much whether a direct rail link exists

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

To catch the train to Morecambe you have to change at least once at Preston. If you catch the train from Accy at 10.06 then you change at preston onto the Morecambe train. If you catch it later then you change at Preston and have to change at Lancaster as well.

I would have thought the more people who complains to the county councillors etc then you might have more of a chance of getting it changed. Its up to you.

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Dorothy aint Merlin Margaret but she will sure as hell fight yer corner, yeh have a legit moan when ya exaust all avenues n get nowhere.

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Please don't catch a train full of pensioners to Morecambe Margaret.

They keep them there, sitting on benches, never to return.

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Lancashire NoWcard holders can travel free of charge between 09.30am and 11.00pm weekdays and all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays on Blackpool Trams and the Knott-End Ferry.

So you could always catch the train and then get on the tram up to Cleveleys and Fleetwood.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

Found this on the nowcard site:

Services which observe stops over 15 miles (21.4 kms) are regarded as "Express services", for example National Express or Megabus.com services, and are therefore excluded from the English National Concession scheme. Some operators choose to offer a concession please contact the bus operator for further details

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And the more people who contact her about it the more weight she can add to the discussion.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

The local owner of the Coastlinks Express which operates from the site of the old Daisy Dairy at West End, is requesting the same N0Wcard rights that have been given to Transdev for their coast services from the Burnley area.

Petitions are available to be signed on their buses and any emails in support of the cause will be printed and included with that petition when it is presented.

If you know an old person who gets pleasure and benefits from these subsidised trips to the coast, you can help the case for them to continue by sending an email in support to-

[email protected]

The coast service from Hyndburn will not survive without the Nowcard concession.

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

The owner of the Coastlinks Express service has put notices in their buses for passengers who wish to support their petition for inclusion in the Nowcard scheme, to contact the person in charge of this at the LCC -
Gavin Miller
tel 01772534581
[email protected]

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

The Nowcard website says you can -
quote-
Lancashire NoWcard holders can travel free of charge between 09.30am and 11.00pm weekdays and all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays on Blackpool Trams and the Knott-End Ferry

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

correction to email address in prev post
[email protected]

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

Third time lucky-:rolleyes:
[email protected]

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PS this email addy appears to have been now blocked or discontinued :rolleyes:

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That email addy isn't working
I think the phone # does, but won't get answered till Tuesday probably

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new email address for G.M.--- [email protected] or [email protected]

Re: Dingles get better treated
 

whats a dingle?

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It is the nickname given to Burnley fans:)

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thanks that helps,,,,why do you call them that is it like the dingles on emmerdale:rolleyes:

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As a dingle I can tell you that it is an affectionate name adopted for us by our smaller rivals at Blackburn & Preston. All to with inbreeding. However even though our father might be our uncle it is better than having no father at all or be the end of a male anatomy part :D

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do you get treated better:rolleyes:

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I don't because I live in Accrington and don't qualify for the bus pass anyway ( contrary to belief :D )

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The reason you cant use the now cards on buses before 9.30. IS BECAUSE WORKERS AND SCHOOLCHILDREN ARE USEING THE BUSES,,,,Now my question is,,DO THEY NOT COME HOME AGAIN??,,,Why morning and not teatime etc.............:confused::confused:They shold be free all day,,i.m h.o