Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, today visited Downing Street with members of the National Pensioners’ Convention, to hand in giant birthday cards from pensioners showing their support for the National Concessionary Travel Scheme Bus Pass for pensioners.

The scheme was introduced ten years ago, following years of lobbying by pensioners, including a long-running campaign in and around Cambridge to secure a national scheme to replace piecemeal local schemes.

Mr Zeichner says: “It’s great to be able to celebrate the bus pass, brought in by the last Labour government to allow older people to get around. It was the product of Labour policy which many of us helped develop in the East of England. It has proved durable and popular, and at successive elections, the major political parties have promised that it should be maintained. We must always be vigilant, however, as there will always be some who want to take it away.”

“I’d love to see this scheme extended to younger people too, a policy that I think would really help young workers, apprentices and students. More people use buses each day across the country than any other form of public transport -; it’s time the Government recognised this and acted to support young people’s access to local transport.”

Research from Greener Journeys revealed that every £1 spent on the Bus Pass generates £2.87 in benefits to bus passengers and the economy.