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Coastal View & Moor News Issue 19


Students continue to fight for their RAT


travel to and from the college, school or place of training are continued, students will still be unfairly burdened with the cost of travel for things such as work experience, university interviews, sport activities, volunteering opportunities and other key extracurricular activities which have been recognised to form a vital part of young people’s education.


Students at Prior Pursglove College are continuing to fight for the protection of the Roaming and Travelling Card after learning the scheme could come to an end as soon as January. A group of students gathered outside the Town Hall in Eston, where Redcar and Cleveland Borough Councillors were meeting to discuss the future of the RAT card which provides half price bus travel to young people who live in Redcar and Cleveland, offering vital means of support for those who may otherwise struggle with transport costs.


Prior Pursglove College Students’ Union have launched an online petition which now has over 2,000 signatures as well as being part of the ‘Get on the Bus’ campaign launched by NUS Welfare nationwide.


Cameron Giles, President of Prior Pursglove College Students’ Union said: “It is my opinion that the current proposals are narrow minded and do not fully recognise the impact that such changes will have. Even if levels of subsidised


“Furthermore, the proposed cuts limit the mobility of young people, preventing them from engaging


in wider interests or leisure activities; this prevents young people from less economically secure backgrounds expanding their knowledge and increasing their life chances. By providing students with greater mobility, the scheme also boosts the local economy.”


Judy Burton, Principal at Prior Pursglove said: “Support for student transport is a fundamental necessity for the majority of our students. With the disappearance of the educational maintenance allowance (EMA), students really need all the financial help they can get. The RAT Card is an excellent form of transport subsidy, which I hope will be preserved in the future.” Half price travel has been a long standing issue for students throughout the Tees Valley area. Last year Middlesbrough’s Teen Mover Card came under threat and students campaigned vigorously to save it. The NUS campaigns highlight the need for subsidised travel for all students regardless of which college they choose to attend.


A


n easy to remember non-emergency police number is being launched in our region. From December, 2011, the public will be able to call 101 for non-emergency issues such as minor traffic collisions, criminal damage or if they want to speak to a local neighbourhood officer about an issue affecting their community. The new number is being introduced in the Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Northumbria and North Yorkshire force areas as part of a national roll-out designed to make it easier for people to contact police.


T/Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Roberts said: “This simple number is a single point of contact, intended to be an easily remembered telephone number that the public can use to report crime or gain advice in relation to non- emergency issues of policing, crime and anti- social behaviour.


“It will make us more accessible to our communities and potentially reduce the number of calls made to the emergency services that are


Police single non-emergency number launched in our region


of a non-emergency nature.”


Calls will still be answered in the same police communications centres by the same police personnel.


When calling 101, the system will determine the caller’s location and play a recorded message announcing the Force they’re being connected to. If they are on a boundary between two or more Forces, the recorded message will give them a choice of which Force to be connected to. Calls to 101 will cost 15p per call, no matter what time of day it is, or how long the call lasts. This means everyone calling the police will know exactly how much a call will cost them, whether they’re calling from a landline or a mobile phone.


People should continue to call 999 in an emergency - when a crime is in progress, there is danger to life or violence is being used or threatened. Local councils should still be contacted on their existing phone numbers for issues such as dog fouling or litter.


Blue Badge changes come into force T


he cost of a Blue Badge permit is to rise from £2 to £10 in the wake of Government-backed reforms which will lead to increased costs for Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council to run the local service. The scheme is designed to help people - both drivers and passengers - with severe mobility problems get access to goods and services by allowing them to park closer to facilities. As part of the reforms, the Department for


Transport has introduced the Blue Badge Improvement Service aimed at improving administration processes to tackle fraud and dealing with misuses of the scheme. People will be able to apply for a Blue Badge, request renewals and notify changes of circumstances online through the Directgov website, although application forms can still be sent to the Council.


Payments can also be made online and badges, which are valid for three years, will be sent to


holders’ home addresses.


The new-look badges will have a ‘true security print’ design - already used in passports - helping to prevent forgery, copying and alterations. The rise to £10 will cover having badges designed, manufactured and delivered, although it still costs the authority more to process applications.


Councillor Steve Goldswain, Cabinet Member for Community Protection, said: “Due to the increase in costs imposed on the Council by the Government, we have no option but to cover some of those costs by raising charges for the Blue Badge. “However, we have made a firm commitment to not charging for ‘fast-tracked’ applications for people with terminal conditions and will continue to meet these costs ourselves.” For further information about Blue Badges, contact the Parking Office on 01642 774774.


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