Joined-up Transport - NOT !

(This post is dedicated to John Major, who, in a parting gift to the nation back in the early 1990s, broke the country's railway system up into over 100 separate companies ... thank you John.)

Small boy has started college again - previously he was at Salford College, which of course is in the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) area and so was eligible for reduced rail fares using a GMPTE Student Card - that was handy ... He now finds himself at Kirklees College in Huddersfield - which of course is in the West Yorkshire Metro area - which is where the problems begin....

Some Figures:

Mossley - Manchester - Takes 25 minutes - Day Return £5-20 - Seven Day Season Ticket £20-30

Mossley - Huddersfield - Takes 25 minutes - Day Return £8-80 - Seven Day Season Ticket £32-80

Checked out for student reductions by e-mailing GMPTE, West Yorkshire and also the local (Tameside) Council. West Yorkshire got back to me almost immendiately - only available stuff is for West Yorkshire residents only - no cross-boundary options available. Tameside Council contacted me within 24 hours - only help they could give was for students up to Year 11 (i.e. 16 years old), therefore no joy there. Ten days on, I'm still waiting for a reply from GMPTE - although I'm all but certain we'll draw a blank there as well !

So - for wanting to improve his chances, we get hit by a 50% increase in his travelling costs ... thanks Mr Major.

(By the way - can't you tell I'm not working today ... it's not raining !!!)
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