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Thousands of people across the country experiencing mental health difficulties are being excluded from the new England-wide off-peak concessionary bus travel scheme introduced in April 2008.

Currently mental health service users only qualify for concessionary bus travel if they would be refused a driving licence because of their mental illness. We believe this shows a total lack of understanding of the disabling effects of mental health problems and the crucial role public transport can play in helping people overcome them. The Government urgently needs to review the qualifying categories set out in the Transport Act 2000 and introduce a new category alongside those covering physical and learning disabilities.

The ability to travel on buses at reduced rates enables people to access essential therapy and treatment. It helps maintain vital social networks reducing isolation and exclusion. It enables people to volunteer in their local community regaining skills or learning new ones as a means to future employment. We believe that being able to access good transport is a crucial part of the whole process of personal recovery and meaningful integration into society.

Current signatories

Mental Health Action Group (S.Derbyshire), the Petition Creator, joined by:

• mark huby
• David Stone
• J RICHARDS
• tracy henson
• SARAH SAUNTSON
• ENNY ANDREWS
• Dave Foreman
• Sharron Cliffe
• Stephen Walker
• Paul Richardson
• wendy beer
• Terry Earl
• Gill Earl
• Jean Ambrose
• Rachel Bassett-Darby
• Rona Rawson
• Philip Birkett
• sarah marchbank
• E Grimes
• David Miller
• Mr P Birkett
• Ms M J Holland
• Rachel Murray
• Simon Martin
• Lorien Barber
• Victoria Ensor
• Meg Howarth
• Tony martin
• Mark Burrows
• Ruth Burrows
• Andrea Woodside
• David Gardner
• Pam Johnston
• Mary Fletcher
• MICHAEL FLETCHER
• Stuart A Wooding
• John King
• Mark McIntosh
• Alan Coe
• Nandi Cook
• beth ford
• Katherine Metcalfe
• Sarah Vernon
• Carolyn Kerr
• J Lalor
• Ann Freeman
• Emma Nurton
• graham crawshaw
• W.T.Fawcett
• Charlotte Walker
• ELIZABETH BROUGHTON
• Philip Ruthen
• B Chipp
• Sarah A. V. Lewis
• Adam Green
• William Grey Campbell
• deborah hooton
• Patricia Brown
• John Ellis
• Helen Illingworth
• dean bell
• Roland Gray
• Ruth Sayers
• Joseph Park
• janet rice
• Tony Keeton
• Emma Hudson
• Joel Heason
• Michael Osborne
• Michael Pearson
• Anna Langley-Smith
• Clive Stevenson
• Patricia Moore
• Chris Gray
• Jeannette Harding
• Terry Simpson
• Laura Jane Burrows
• Tina Coldham
• M Clifford
• Charly
• Heather Roberts
• Robert Eriksohn
• Diane Redshaw
• Laura Bennett
• Alison Philbey
• Keith Kingscott
• Caroline Grew
• Julie Burrows
• Mr Shane Reece
• Lisa Clifford
• Rosie Reed
• Claire Torkington
• Ruth Baker
• denise shillabeer
• Paulette Peters
• Monica Cooper
• Doug Vivyan
• wendy Lowe
• robert holland
• rachel boden
• Roger Kerry
• Pauline Markovits
• Elizabeth Woodcroft
• Mary Jamieson
• Pam Dawson
• Siobhan Spencer
• Michele Newsome
• Anne Elizabeth de Gruchy
• John Moore
• Ric Bowl
• Diane Wright
• Ag Jones
• Jane Jones
• Mark Reader
• philip short
• Jane Haswell
• Helen Carp
• Geraldine Barker
• David Radford
• John A. Baker
• Nicola Grainger
• Barbara Wain
• david mcneill
• James Dale
• Janet Littlewood
• Tracy Lester
• champa vaghji
• Maria Piroso
• Roger Melvile
• Heather carnall
• adam gill
• Jacky Wilding
• Fiona Webster
• Lesley Mackie
• Niki Glazier
• Andrea Bowes
• John Bowes
• Mark Simms
• Ann Hoole
• Alison Levey
• Sarah Berry
• jean sharp
• Bob Lee
• susie bate
• Roy Milner
• phil robinson
• Martyn Cooper
• Ruth Morris
• Petronella Davis
• David Penniston
• Andrew Canneaux
• Joe Higman
• Michelle Smith
• Dick Harris
• Hayley Seymour
• Cathy Mackay
• Karen Dobson
• Tracy Smith-Dance
• William Bingley
• Kathrin Atkinson
• Christine Moran
• Kevin Levers
• Jim Bradley
• Glenn Townsend
• Fi Woods
• Edward Brown
• Ben Clements
• clare jeeves
• Dale Brian Taylor
• Peter Gray
• M. J. Bickerton
• Louise Bloom
• Malcolm Jeeves
• Karen Stone
• christine osborne
• J. Keeble
• Janet Pugh
• Burton and District Mind
• Leanne sanderson
• sandra west
• suzanne Pearson
• Rachael Clark
• jon cork
• Jess Wilkins
• Sheila Chesney
• gillian wakerley
• S. G. (Greg) Clarke
• B V Singh
• Nicola Brailsford
• Mrs M J McFarlane
• Andrew Chester
• Dr Lucy Gillatt
• Andy green
• Janice Shaw
• Judy Hunt
• Dr Laura Gallant
• MARGARET ABBOTT
• Ms Woodhams
• Richard Bennett
• Anthony fisher
• Andrew Clegg
• Mrs Julia Davies
• Simon Voiels
• debbie bostock
• gary bone
• Diane Smeeton
• JOHN R WOOD
• Esther Adelman
• sue ledwith
• Judith Machin
• Graham Machin
• Margaret King
• Nicola Williams
• Nick Fletcher
• paul croucher
• Angelina Park
• Kate Priest
• dr zoe bradshaw
• SC Perris
• Mrs A. E. Booth
• Brenda Durham
• Sue Parkinson
• Anna Elliott
• Anne Worrall
• Sandra Johnson
• Rob Hanlon
• Esther Sharp
• wendy storer
• carol evans
• Barbara Marriott
• Yvonne Lee
• Paul Walton
• francoise Holland
• michael holland
• S Suresh
• Roger Warren
• Greg Hanlon
• Bernard Hart
• aonwordi
• Helen Hamilton
• suzanne seaward
• John Dyster
• Mark Lawton
• lorraine treble
• germaine bryant
• Kate White
• Tony Ashwell
• Margaret Neumann
• Vicky Phillips
• Adrian Partridge
• Peter Robinson
• yasir mohammed
• DAVID DAWSON
• sarah butt
• Terence J Tucker
• Mark Sylvester
• kristina
• m. bramwell
• Michelle Woodall
• Jenny Mcdermott
• Rachel Hancock
• Richard Marx
• Lorraine Wilkes
• Wilfred Boden
• irena poloczek
• Jennifer Martin
• Christopher Davis
• Tony McIlveen
• Sharon McCarthy
• Jane Millard
• Martin O'Kane
• Carole Ford
• David B Taylor
• sue
• Christopher Bridges
• paul grimsdell
• Laura Briggs
• Andrew Maclennan
• J P Tickell
• Dave Sheppard
• Lyndsey Waters
• Clare Sheard
• Jane Cryan
• Nicholas Walsh
• Samantha Archetti-Walsh
• Sarah Clifton
• Graeme Fairchild
• Mikey Dunn
• Dr E Fistein, MRCPsych
• Elise DeVito
• Graham Murray
• katy ridehalgh
• Zoe Forster
• Dorothy Fryd
• Susan Sadek
• Elizabeth Evans
• Margaret Staniforth
• alycia caudwell
• MARK SMITH
• Margaret Binder
• Carolyn Crane
• Catherine Langthorne
• Tracy Newland
• claire
• jean youles
• Rachel McGowan
• joan hill
• Sian Phillips
• John Haupt
• Glynis Ford
• Richard Truman
• Rebecca Williams
• Miss Annabelle Matthews
• Petronella Bond
• Donna Burton
• Agnes Oxford
• Jan Pearl
• Alan Needham
• David Saunders
• Trevor Clower
• brian ward
• Megan Down
• andrew harrison
• elaine Hill
• David Ralph
• Petula Marriott
• Charlotte Woodrow-Johnstone
• Ruth Pearson
• Stuart Allen
• Catharine Stewart
• David Salisbury
• Zena Bower
• p lilly
• MARION THOMSON
• Ken Watson
• chris minett
• Robert Williams
• Philip Wood
• Rita Koterba
• Maxine
• Kerstin Selander
• Henry Webster
• Lauren Farrell
• Chris Whelan
• Bob Beasley
• Trevor Steed
• Margaret Kettlewell
• Linda Tristram
• Martin Parker
• Abby Jacobsen
• Raj Johal
• Pat Ralph
• Rachel Britton
• Brian Milhench, Chair 50+
• Richard Williams
• dm ingham
• Miriam Haddad
• janice sharp
• Mike Corker
• Ayiesha Russell
• Donna M Robinson
• Margaret John
• Heather Payne
• SWUF Media Watch Group (Mental Health)
• stephanie de la haye Chair of S.O.D.I.T
• Sheenagh Lee
• Cedric Knight
• Denise Hunter
• Judith Johnson
• Karen Machin
• cmawdsley
• Maureen Farrelly
• David Harrison-Howard
• Julie Waring
• Rhiannon H Rees
• Jean Cozens
• Jemma Redhead
• Tracy L
• BRIAN ROSCOE
• Jane Davies
• Adam G. Jones
• clare sawdon-smith
• Anya U
• Raymond Lane
• Helen Williams
• Kay Roberts
• Ian Smith
• Jill Henderson
• Andrew Ward
• Monica Zocca
• Lauren Goldsmith
• DENIZ HUSSEIN
• candice padden
• Robert Nicholson
• Natasha Broadbere
• Julie M Moxon
• Catherine King
• Mike & Dee Tracey
• Richard Carling
• maria madden
• michael madden
• Mike Woodward
• Bernie Griffin
• Celia Shill
• Irene A Harris
• Gemma Roulston
• John Rippon