Ministry For Transport Trauma
Gordon Brown gets free bus pass
The Prime Minister has really been in the firing line of late, but none of the criticisms levelled at him have been as surreal as this one: getting sent a free bus pass.
Why did Gordon receive this gift in the mail? Because Royston pensioner Vilma Oakes didn't want it anymore. She had no need for it, you see - not after her local bus route was closed, a reduction in service that she feels is slightly at odds with the recent rise in her council tax. Gord has yet to go on record with his reaction, although we assume he's either a) deeply concerned, or b) rubbing his hands together and yelling "yee-ees! No more Oyster Card bollocks for me!"
It's not just Mrs. Oakes - who also happens to be partially sighted - who is getting annoyed at this. Local councillor Joe Holroyd is up in arms about it too, claiming that "we're told there has been consultation, but neither we nor Steeple Morden Parish Council had heard anything about this until the last minute".
Maybe it'd be best for the PM to take this seriously. While the whole thing probably seems like a trivial issue to urban dwellers - we're generally too busy, y'know, subsidising the rest of the country - it becomes a lot more serious when you realise that legions of elderly and disabled people will be losing their independence because of this, a situation that would have caused outrage were it to happen within six miles of NW1.
There are always options, though. If Boris somehow manages to stumble his way to London Mayor, the capital is going to have a lot of bendy buses going spare. Anyone? First come, first served? Provided you can actually get out of town in the first place, that is.
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