"Renew Your Freedom Pass Early": Royal Greenwich Urges Older Citizens

by Andrew Stern

* Sample Freedom Pass:
(Photo Credit: www.freedompass.org)

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is urging older people to make a New Year’s resolution to renew their Freedom Pass soon, to ensure they don’t miss out on the free travel that it offers.

It’s part of a London-wide campaign to encourage people to renew their passes online, as they can no longer renew them at the post office.

The current passes, which give older people free travel on almost all public transport in the capital, run out on 31 March 2015. This year the main renewal process will be online which means people will not be able to go to a post office to renew.

However, a form is available for those who are unable to use a computer to go online.

Thousands of letters explaining how to renew have been issued by the council. Anyone who needs help to renew online can go to their local library, where staff will help or they can return the form by post.

Supporters of the Freedom Pass include Theresa Bonney and Tony Wilks, both volunteers at Age UK’s centre in Sherard Road, Eltham. Theresa said: “I use my Freedom Pass every day for going out and socializing, shopping, and going to the theater in London. It’s a wonderful thing to have.”

Tony, a volunteer home visitor, said: “Although I’m a car driver, I don’t like driving in London. So we use our passes on the train when we go there, which means we use them a lot. We are definitely big fans of the Freedom Pass.”

Cllr David Gardner, the Royal Borough’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “Anyone whose older person’s pass expires on 31 March is entitled to a new one, provided they still live in London. The renewal process is designed to be easy to use – but if anyone needs help they can visit their local library where staff will be available to assist them.”

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, added: “By offering free access to the capital’s public transport, the Freedom Pass plays a crucial role in ensuring that older people and disabled people, whatever their income, can visit friends and family, and enjoy all that London has to offer. It really is one of London’s great institutions, and I am proud that Royal Greenwich, along with other councils in London, continues to support this vital scheme.”

New passes can be used as soon as they arrive - there’s no need to wait for the old ones to expire. You should destroy the old pass when your new one arrives.

For details of libraries in the borough visitwww.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/libraries.

For queries about the older person’s Freedom Passes, contact London Councils on 0300 330 1433.

For more information and the online renewal form go to:www.freedompass.org.


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