For all those that do not consider it’s worth signing petitions – here is a copy of a letter from AGEUK to people who signed their petition on the Older Person’s Freedom Pass / the 60+ Oyster Card
"Dear………,
We wanted to update you on some fantastic news. You’ve helped to protect vital travel concessions for older Londoners.
Early on Sunday morning we finally learnt that there would be no additional cuts to the Older Person’s Freedom Pass or the 60+ Oyster card for at least the next six months.
We would like to say a huge Thank You to you and thousands of other Londoners for making this happen. Ahead of the weekend there was a very real risk that last minute funding deal talks between the government and Transport for London would result in new cuts that might see the permanent loss of concessions including the 60+ Oyster card.
Read our statement which we released yesterday.
A lifeline not a luxury
We have always been clear that older Londoners’ travel concessions are a lifeline not a luxury. Concessionary travel is safe in the short-term and one thing we are certain of is that thanks to you and nearly 50,000 people that wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport, the government are now much more aware of the importance of affordable travel. They will now be in no doubt how important travel concessions are.
Unfortunately, not all of the news was good. We were disappointed to hear that the suspension of concessionary travel before 9am on weekday mornings will continue. The suspension started in June. We began our campaign because we knew so many older Londoners had no choice but to make essential journeys before 9am.
We also need to prepare for more battles ahead. Sadly the long-term future of travel concessions is not secure and new calls for cuts will grow louder.
Please do contact campaigns@ageuklondon.org.uk if you have any questions."
So, next time you're uncertain whether signing a petition actually works, remember that this very important one brought about a government U-Turn, and know that you'll be making a difference when you sign one!