Chris backs Taxi Tokens for Kingswood's elderly residents

Like our team of Conservative Councillors, I passionately believe in restoring the right to choose. I believe residents are best
placed to decide whether tokens or the bus pass suit their transport needs most, not the Council.

Last May, across South Gloucestershire, 34 Conservative Councillors were elected. Sadly we were just 2 seats short of an overall majority on the Council. However, with ambitious plans to improve the quality of life of our residents, our team of Councillors took up the challenge of running the Council. I am pleased that our Councillors have kept their promises and produced proposals to introduce the choice of tokens this year.

However, last November and December, Labour and the Liberal Democrats joined forces to block tokens. Then at the budget meeting this month, Labour and the Liberal Democrats joined forces again and blocked the proposals to introduce the choice of tokens, by just one vote. This was the last chance to secure the funding needed to introduce the scheme.

I believe this decision is a tragedy for the many thousands of pensioners and disabled residents in our community who cannot benefit from a bus pass. It shows that both Labour and the Liberal Democrats put political point scoring before providing an important and much-needed transport entitlement for some of our most isolated and vulnerable residents.

I will continue to campaign for the elderly residents of Kingswood, so that they get the flexibility and freedom to choose the travel that Labour and the Lib Dems have denied them.

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