Kafka’s Bus Pass

Kafka’s Bus Pass ; or Free Bus Travel at age 60 years and  ….3 or 4 weeks .

In general I am a supporter of the provision of some form of concessionary bus travel for older people.

I think it unfortunate that as a policy choice by governments  it has not been as extensively evaluated  as it might have been to see if the overall social benefits are as  great as they are sometimes  claimed to be.

I also think that for those of us on higher incomes Free Travel  should be assessed as a taxable benefit – but that’s for another time and place.

What has caught my interest recently is the experience of one applicant whom I spoke to , and what this might tell us about this administrative process  that is available to all as they reach the age of 60 [ and many younger people who have mobility problems .]

My experience of applying for   a pass a few years ago was painless, and I  recall it as relatively quick , so as is so often the case when such systems  work  you don’t pay as much attention to the processes  as much as you might .

The experience described to me by a recent applicant illustrates much of the weakness of administrative processes  in transition between paper and electronic  technologies  in a world of articulated and outsourced public services

Here’s  how this rolled out .

The application form states , boldly  in the first paragraph :  “you can apply …two weeks before your birthday , but the card will not be activated until the date of your birthday .”

The application form is completed by hand [ in black ink obviously] and a passport photo attached .

The applicant completes  the form , buys   a passport photo and takes   the completed form into the local library [ the  preferred validation point in Edinburgh] a few days before the 60th birthday - admittedly on a  Sunday  .  The applicant is warmly congratulated on completing the form correctly [ name , address , age, usual complex stuff etc. …]  as though this was a major achievement … [ although on reflection ] “..hhmm , is this a worrying sign ?”

Almost three  weeks later , no sign of the card and the applicant phones the appropriate Edinburgh contact number to be told : “ not in our  system …delays sometimes …please phone back in a  few days ..”

Calls  back a few days later applicant is told it’s:  “ not in the system …suggest you check with the library…”

The library is called . They suggest  the applicant checks with the  Edinburgh contact number that has  already been called .

 “I’ve done that , they said  to contact you … what did you do with the form ?”

“ Oh, we posted the form to Hull [ 2 days after it was completed ]”

“ Where in Hull ?”

“ Don’t know , we just post these forms  .. I suggest you try the contact centre in Edinburgh..”

Back in touch with contact centre Edinburgh .

“ I’ve spoken to the library and they say they have sent this to Hull – who can I speak to in Hull ?

“ You can’t…the forms must be  being processed”

“ How do you know it’s being processed?

“ Because it’s not in our system …”

“ But I was told 2 to 3 weeks ..”

“ But it’s not 3 weeks yet………..”

The applicant phones the library again and the library call the Edinburgh contact centre and the librarian is told : “ Well we say 3 weeks  ,   but sometimes it’s  4 or 5 weeks …”

The applicant calls the contact centre again : “ … you say it’s not on your system therefore it’s being processed [ presumably in Hull]  but you don’t know that ; it could be lost somewhere in a hole between here and Hull….. So what happens  if it’s lost ? I don’t want to wait 4 or 5 weeks to then be told it’s lost. Can I raise this with a manager .”

“ No ; I can’t report it until it’s been 3 weeks .”

“ But it’s in the 3^rd week now ..”!

“ But it is not three weeks yet!”

It’s three weeks today , and still no bus pass has arrived . 

So, the phone call loop is now extended to Transport Scotland .

Transport Scotland : “ We deal with policy; we can’t help you with actually getting a bus pass . Perhaps you could re-apply ?”  [ There'sa real signal of system confidence from people who 'do policy']

I reckon the Scottish Transport Minister , Keith Brown MSP,  now owes this applicant 2 weeks free bus travel … hope he  gets in touch.......he might manage it before the bus pass arrives .