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Travel pass crusaders take to Yorkshire railways

Pensioners and disabled people refuse to pay fares in protest at concessionary travel cut

Yorkshire pensioners, disabled people and union members boarded trains and refused to pay fares yesterday in protest at cuts to concessionary travel.

Around 100 protesters boarded a train in Barnsley and travelled to Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, where they met others who had done the same there and in Doncaster.

The protest was dubbed the “freedom ride.”

Unite Community regional organiser Joe Rollin took part and described the protest as “a fantastic act of defiance.”

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) has been hit by vicious coalition cuts and concessionary travel in many parts of Britain is under attack.

SYPTE is axing free travel on trains for pensioners and disabled people, and restricting free bus travel to certain times of day.

Mr Rollin said: “This is a particularly severe cut for disabled people who are able to use passes at any time of the day.

“Many disabled people have been able to take on low-paid and part-time work because of free travel. Partially sighted people will find handling money outside of ‘free’ times difficult and demeaning.”

More “freedom rides” are being planned and campaigners hope direct action will spread to other areas where concessionary transport is under attack.

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