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Well surely if its due to budget cuts and the Mi card scheme is being developed like this then surely the same can be done on the the senior citizen bus pass scheme??? This in effect could genarate funding for other areas or projects/schemes. And done nationally could make the government money instead of creating more taxes for us to pay. There are families out there that find the Mi card a financial god-send and they will find this as another way of being stabbed in the back by the council/government bodies.

Sorry to disagree with the above statement but this new scheme is to stop ignorant little scroats from riding round on buses and getting on just to get off one stop later, so if you're looking for someone to blame, theres your answer because its them who costing the money for their 1st rate laziness. Plus if i'm not mistaken this scheme was decided primarily by the youth council made up of members of all ages most of whom would be in possestion of a mi card and they came to the decision that this method was better for all parties concerned. Furthermore with the pensioner passes, most if not all pensioners have worked hard all their lives and paid their due so I for 1 think its only right they get a little something for free for their service.

They should get rid of them altogether - and kids should pay the normal 60p fare to travel on a bus, I do not see why the taxpayer has to subsidize kids to travel around on buses that wreck them.
And for all the ones that are moaning - if you can't afford to pay to send your kids to school - you shouldn't have had kids in the first place

@JAYNE WHY SHOULD PEOPLE NOT HAVE CHILDREN?? ITS NOT THERE FAULT THAT THE NEAREST SCHOOL IS NOT IN WALKING DISTANCE AND WHAT IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN THEN DOWN THE LINE FIND YOURSELF IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES??? NO ONE KNOWS THE WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL, PEOPLE LIKE YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND GET DOWN OF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND GIVE YOUR HEAD A SHAKE

I wouldnt need one for my son for school has its on the doorstep but to go to town it will cost a fortune if i had to pay full 60p for him each way aswell as my fare....incomes are being lowered yet prices are still increasing

i agree with the 30p fair i have 3 children and when they have forgot the pass i haven't moaned at paying full or even adult fair. I Don't feel the elderly should pay for travel as the goverment hastaken enough from them. But JAYNE who are you to judge, What if some poor child has issue's in the school they are in and people are making that child's life hell should the poor child have to stay in that school because the parents carn't afford to send them on a bus to a diiferent school. Oh and by the way before 9 in the morning it's full fair anyway.

Jayne. Get a grip. Lots of factors affect which school a child is placed in. Including ergonomics, distance, demand, performance tables, child care so people can "afford to have kids" as you so eloquently put it. Clearly the education system worked for you. Even tax payers who are subsidising this move have kids that go to school. Same as one day you'll have an elderly parent who needs health and home care. Or God forbid treatment costing potentially thousands for cancer or such like. Cos I'm damn sure you're NI contributions won't meet the total costs. Oh and coincidentally. These children are the doctors and consultants of the future. What goes round comes round hey. Amazing to think well need these kids one day

Sorry this is too little too late, the fare structure in West Yorks is half fare end of and if they aint got the proper pass ITS FULL FARE we dont get arguments the kids know the score,this and other S Yorks councils plus SYPTE want to get there act together and go in this direction as for families who cannot afford these fares there could be some kind of free pass AT SCHOOL TIMES ONLY ,and may be a cheaper fare for others AT SCHOOL TIMES ,this would resolve some issues of kids running riot in the Interchange because older people dont want to go into the Interchange and who can blame them .

@sam. The elderly are just as bad so one stop bus rides. so surely your comment applies to them? and if people shouldnt have kids if they dont agree with paying bus fare does that mean we should dispose of the elderly as they tely on free buss travel. if you took that away how would they cope??? They youth of today are chastised on everything they do. Like your comments attacking yhe young for the same thing the elderly do.

@mike I'm not going to start an argument over such a trivial matter so i'll say this only once yes old people may get on the bus just to travel one stop.... BECAUSE THEIR OLD, their not in the same physical shape as these 13 or 14 year old kids who do it out of laziness. So obviously you haven't understood a single word of my last post, oh and PS i suggest proof reading what you've written before you post.

Its a great idea, it's not expensive plus they wanted to scrap them in the first place as they was loosing too much money potentionally not having stagecoach at all and they've resolved this buy making something out of it. Think! Every business is having to make cuts and redundancys and they've found a way to stay a float keeping people's jobs at stagecoach. Don't be too harsh about it people :-)

@Jayne - I pay tax so I contribute alot towards the system. My daughter has a MiCard. For once I get something back!
As for making the changes on -1st August - right at the start of the summer holidays - nice one Barnsley Council - durr!!!

i take it Jayne hasnt got kids !!!!!!!!! If my son has sometimes forgot his MI CARD whilst been with me i have had to infact pay FULL price adult NEVER 60p its disgusting The bus drivers have no manners when talking to the kids 30p is not too bad i dont think but Jayne GROW UP !!!!!

Jayne, I do disagree with your satement all together I think your a disgrace, you may hold a free bus ticket aswell, MI cards were orignally brought out for kids and teens to travel freely on the bus. Another thing is, we also have to pay 60p before 9am, and after 9pm, 30p charge is fine, Jayne please think before you post and what you are talking about. Kids shouldn't have to pay the 'Normal 60p fair' like you said, because there are people out there who are struggling to afford things, yes 60p doesn't sound much but you add that up every day they have to get to school it does soon rise, since the goverment is taxing everyone on everything money is tight these days, sorry but your post did vile me. I strongly disagree with you Jayne not liking your post at all, I agree with ONLYME about getting your head out of I wouldn't say the clouds, but somewhere else.

@CAMERON I DID WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING ELSE REGARDING WHERE HER HEAD IS BUT THOUGHT CHILDREN MIGHT READ IT LOL BUT AS @KATIE SAYS EVERYTHING ELSE IS RISING APART FROM PEOPLES WAGES BUT WHO THE HELL IS SHE TO SAY PEOPLE SHOULDNT HAVE KIDS....I AGREE OAPS DO GET OFF ONE STOP DOWN BUT AS @SAM SAYS THEY ARE NOT PHYSICALLY CAPABLE ANYMORE, IT DOES GET ME MAD WHEN YOU GET 'CHAVS' JUST GOING ON THE BUS HAS A PLACE TO HANG ABOUT BUT THERE REALLY ISNT ANYTHING ELSE FOR THEM TO DO IN THIS TOWN

@fay sorry to question your post and start a debate but as the ofspring of a bus driver i have to take the drivers side when it comes to your post if your son has forgotten to bring his mi card that is not the fault of the driver and he has no other option but to charge full adult price, as you son therefore has no other eveidence to state that he should be allowed on for the nominal fare of 60p (other than how old he looks). But unfortunatly that won't cut it because if there were to be an inspector on his bus and the driver admitted you son at the cost down rate without producing a mi card then that driver could be penalised for not following standard procedure

I had to pay 33p each way to get the school bus and as far as I am aware no one in my year starved to death due to 'ridiculous' bus fares! I agree that some children from low income families should maybe get free travel too and from school but during the holidays and out of school hours why should they get it for free? As a tax payer I do not wish to pay for teens to get the bus to their friend's houses and why should I?

For all the people asking -- NO, I don't have kids
The reason why I don't have kids - I can't afford to have them, so I don't "pop" them out expecting the taxpayer to bring up my kids -- When I do decide to have kids I will make sure I can support them myself with my own money.

And ONLYME - I think you require a new CAPS LOCK button as yours obviously is not working.

And everytime a MiCard is used on a bus, the ticket machine registers it and a 60p charge is added to the bill that has to be paid by the council, which costs over £2 MILLION last year -- money which is taken out of the budget to spend on services within the community (like providing sand bags during floods --- but no, you all think that giving kids free travel is so more important)

some people are really annoying when they say shouldnt have kids if you cant afford to send them to school shut up idiot have you got kids yourself if you have they obvs dont use the bus because it costs enough just go anywhere with them not just to school just to take my son and daughter to my dads it would cost me 4.40 for them both and he only lives at worsbrough im at new lodge its beyond a joke sometimes.

i pay for my own kids not social or anything so its nice to have that bit for free when we dont get owt else for free

oh my how awful of some to sat if you can't afford them don't have kids wen I had mine I could afford them I had a good job my husband did too!! NOW I've had to give up work as 1 of our children in disabled and in poor health and my days are spent at hospital appointments etc and my husbands wage Is constantly getting lower due to budget cuts in barnsley council we don't rely on benefits but are struggling financially big time every time they make these changes they don't think of families like mine who already are on the bread line :-( god help my family if things get any worse and I mean that really! I already struggle to pat my sons school costs for journeys not in mii card scheme hours or if he wants to go to lazier quest now if I've to pay for all his journeys he will suffer as won't be able to use busses for leisure how fair is that for a boy who has lost and missed out on so much in life already due to his sisters illness and our financial circumstances it stinks!!!

I have 3 children and none of my kids have a MiCard - which is my choice but i understand why families do use it(laziness on my part really cos it's a pain having to sort it!). @ Jayne...not everyone 'pops' out kids and expects the taxpayer to pay for them - my husband works damn hard to provide for his family as does many other parents. I hope that when you decide to have children that god forbid you are never in the position of losing your job - what choice would you have then but to turn to the taxpayer i.e ME for help? There are many families that have had their lives turned upside down by job losses, how dare you look down your nose at people who are taking up the offer of a Mi Card? These are the people that are raising our next generation (the ones who are going to look after you by the way), clothing them, feeding them and sending them to school to get a good education. The cost of living is going up, wages are frozen or going down - if help is there then it should be taken.

Jane your comment is totally retarded. A lot of people cant afford to send their kids to school through no fault of their own, ie some people may have had kids whilst in a healthy financial position, but through certain circumstances have lost their jobs. Think before you post love lol

while I don't agree with Jayne at all bully please google the R word it's offensive and not used like that now it's a medical condition not a hate slang word :-( my daughter has mental retardation I'm not amused!

Adults & Children need to learn that nothing in life is free
If you want something - you earn it

To many people in life expect everything to be handed to them on a plate - what example are we teaching children these day
Far too many have the 'don't worry, if you can't afford it the government will pay for it' attitude - it's about time you all learnt there is no such thing as a "free ride" pardon the pun

No offence meant, sorry

Linda what if like me circumstances change badly and without the mii card your child won't be able to attend school???

thanks bully

i have a mentally ill cousin and understand the power of the r word. If i offended you then i am truly sorry but it wasnt aimed at you or your family.

I think that most of these comments are actually posted by WAB staff - in an effort to start off a slanging match, I have seen it many times on here and they use parts of posts to post the article again on the facebook page, which makes a lot of people come on here to "have a go".
All WAB do is start arguements, they must get a kick out of it in the office.

Why do they wish people to come here instead of posting on Facebook - because everytime you load up the WAB website they get paid for advertising revenue

Can i just point out that not all children are abusing the free pass or rude. I have 3 kids ( not on benefits ) 2 use mi cards even so it costs me £200 in fees as they cant use them on their journey to school!!!! Under the new scheme i'll still be paying the same during the school day! But im grateful as otherwise it would be double!!! And also 30 years ago when i used transport to school it was FREE!!! my girls school is 8 miles away!

I can assure you Mark that the comments are all genuine and not posted by WAB staff. I don't think it's fair to say we start arguments - we publish news stories and allow debate. I don't think there's anything wrong with that as long as it's reasonable. As for asking people to come to the website instead of Facebook - that's for two reasons. One: our FB wall is so fast moving that posts disappear within an hour, and two, correct we do sell advertising on our website. We are a news organisation, we work hard to provide news 20 hours a day. We update our news more than any other local website...and our staff have to be paid. They do put many out of hours voluntary hours in but on a 9-5 our journalist, our web developers all have to earn a crust. That's not unreasonable either, it's the way media works. Sadly, we have to earn a living too. People find WAB useful and we offer what we hope is an efficient news service - so we have no shame in saying that yes, we do have to make money from it to keep it afloat just like every single other bonafide media organisation!

Instead of stopping MIcards they should still allow them and for kids who haven't got them charge 30p. Because kids may need them everyday to get to school, get home ect..

I have a son who has mild cerebral palsy and can't walk far so to Jayne he needs his mi card to be able to go places with me and yes I work but the rising cost of fuel bills an food also it cost money for his dinners at school also his school is not in walking distance so needs to get a bus to and from school every day it's not that I can't afford my child it is the cost of living and its not my fault his father wants nothing to do with him so really you should think before you write comments end of

@jayne not been funny but you say it costs 60p to get to town.. I don't have a mi card and from staincross the other day it cost me 2.10 to get there so I spent 4.20 on getting to town and back? And I'm 14!?! Why tell people they shouldn't have kids my mum might not be the richest but she loves me to peices isn't that what familys about?

A better suggestion would be to only allow the mii card to be used between the hours of 7.30am/8.30am and 3.30pm/4.30pm.
It gets the kids to school and back, if they want to travel to socialize then pay for it!
And yes before anyone asks I have 3 kids!

I dont think you should stereotype all the children in barnsley quite a few children don't leave busses in a horrible state and are actually quite polite

Yes I have to agree with the rest with regards to jaynes statement !!!! plus I have to children and we did live within walking distance from the high school but Barnsley council decided to build new schools 2.5 mile away. Not my choice but my children not been lazy (Sam) chose to ride there bikes to school but once again they are not aloud to unless they wear an helmet school policy (there is no legal law requiring an helmet for children we checked with the authorities) but the school banned them from taking there bike with out one so back to bus as lads won't wear helmet. So the mii card was a good idea my wife and myself both work and pay an fortune in ya and insurence so by my children utilising it we get a bit back ( about time if you ask me)...........

And kelsie if you contact the zero fare office at the town all lv your children should be entitled to a free school pass I think the requirement is over 3.1 mile when we contacted them they check wi google maps an as long as it is you get inept each child I no a few with them but they are school use only.

Its stupid. People that do leave busses a mess should be told they cant use them. Not every child does. Without a mi card i have to pay 15 pound a week to get to and from work. Its stupid how much public transport has gone up. When i was ar schol it was 40p and 1.30 to get to town its now 60p and 1.80 to town

i have to pay £1.50 to get the school bus everyday,and so does my sister,and we have to pay that to get home too,because the bus company used,tates travel,DOES NOT take Mi Cards,that £6 a day! Luckily,my parents can afford that,but i've seen people having to move schools cause they can't afford the fares to get to and from school anymore.I use my Mi Card a lot,but i don't 'joy ride', but if i have ran out of money and need to get somewhere,it comes in handy.and as for Jayne,you never know what goes on behind closed doors,so saying 'people shouldn't have kids' is irrelevant and disgusting.You obviously have your head up somewhere,and have never gone through the struggle that some people go through every single day.Think before you post,I'm 15 and have more sense than you,look at yourself before you start to judge others.

From a mother who's child starts y7 in September. Who will have to take four buses a day. Her brother joins year later. And sister after that. So three kids 2.40 x3 = 7.20 times that by five. Not cheap on a low income. Luckily we have a car and will take them that way. They will go there for medical reason but don't quilfie for help. And I don't have a choice about where they go they need the help. But means a 5am wake up to set off for school as no direct buses.

@Jayne...I am a tax payer and I find your blinkerdness offending. i do have kids now teenagers. Why punish all of them just for the few. What needs to happen is to stop all this P.C crap and comedown on the so called scrotes hard. As long as I can remember children have always had discounted fares and I can't see why it should stop. Oh and don't mention sand bags..I live on a hill so why should I fund floods? Thats how you think!

Everyone is going through a rough patch at the minute. Yes it may be a bit of an increase but it's better than the £90 I pay a month to get a SY travel pass. We only have one life so instead of having a go at each other, just enjoy everything that you do. And Jayne this goes for you too :)

Jayne,im not talking to you like filth,im stating a fact. to have respect you have to earn it also,i wouldn't expect respect if i didn't earn the right to be respected.

and im sorry if you think im speaking like 'filth',but i know my friends benefit A LOT from the Mi Card,their dad lost their job and now can't find work,and it's hard for them,so saying people shouldn't have kids is quite offending,if i was in that situation and saw that comment i would be appauled and extreamly upset