Member

Furthermore, some of us in this place represent constituencies that straddle more than one local authority. In those areas, a postcode lottery has emerged: disabled residents living just a few miles apart are subject to different rules. One person’s bus pass might allow travel before 9.30 am, while their neighbour, who lives just across an invisible council border, is forced to wait. I have seen that issue arise at first hand in my constituency. I have been campaigning with Hettie, a diamond bus pass user who lives in Radstock in my constituency and commutes to Bath for work. Radstock falls under the West of England combined authority. When Hettie raised the unfairness of the 9.30 am restriction on disabled bus passes, I wrote to WECA, and I am pleased to say that it responded positively and extended the validity of the pass to 24 hours a day. That was a significant and meaningful win for people in one half of my constituency. However, the other half, who live under Somerset council, remain restricted and are still unable to use their passes before 9.30 am. How can that possibly be fair when all that separates them is an invisible line?