RELIEF FOR EPILEPSY SUFFERERS APPLYING FOR FREE BUS TRAVEL

6.52.33am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 21st Aug 2008

Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, has today welcomed the news that people suffering from epilepsy will now have easier access to free, Scotland wide bus travel.

Jim Hume said:

"From this week, GPs, specialist epilepsy nurses as well as consultants will be able to sign the form confirming a patient's eligibility for a free bus pass. This means that applicants no longer need to go through the rigmarole of applying for a driver's licence purely so that the licence will be refused so that they can then use that refusal letter to back up their travel pass application form.

"It was a ridiculous situation that people already unable to get about, and in many circumstances on limited incomes, were having to pay the drivers' licence application fee to have it refused so that they would have a refusal letter to prove their eligibility for free bus travel.

The MSP continued:

"I raised this issue with the Scottish Government several times over the last year after hearing from constituents through my work with the Scottish Parliament's Cross Party Group on Epilepsy.

"I'm relieved that after much campaigning by Epilepsy Scotland and others, Transport Scotland has finally seen sense and simplified the system."