BARNET Council is reviewing the way it assesses eligibility for the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass scheme – following outcry earlier this year when hundreds of passes were cancelled without warning.
A proportion of the passes, which allow free travel for disabled people, were eventually reinstated temporarily following an on-line campaign.
But not before Barnet Council was forced to apologise, including to autistic teenager Jenny Fairclough, 19, from Edgware, who has speech problems and moderate learning difficulties, who was shocked and upset when a bus driver said her pass was no longer valid.
Now the council is to review the way new applicants and existing pass holders are assessed, and is asking for feedback from members of the public on a number of proposals.
They include providing more ways for applicants to give evidence to support applications, as well as looking at the ways people can apply for a pass, and making documents more accessible for all users.
Councillor Dean Cohen, chairman of the council’s Environment Committee, said: “We will be consulting with a number of disability charities to make sure we are giving a better quality, and more effective service to all our users. I would encourage as many people as possible to provide their feedback.”
The consultation can be found here: https://engage.barnet.gov.uk/commissioning-group/disabled-persons-freedom-pass-consultation
Consultation runs from September 26 until November 4, 2016 and is open to all Barnet residents.
The proposals will not affect the Older Persons Freedom Pass criteria which allow older people to travel for free around London.
Source: Barnet
