Row over bus passes 'lotto' on free trips

A bus pass lottery means pensioners in Kidderminster must pay for morning journeys – while people two miles down the road have free travel all day.

Many travelling to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for early appointments have been angered to find that people living only a few miles from the town centre, in the Wychavon district, can still get free travel before 9.30am.

Previously Wyre Forest District Council has topped up the national concessionary travel scheme so that pensioners can travel during peak times but because of budget cutbacks earlier this year this was scrapped.

This meant they could only use their passes after 9.30am and had to pay for early morning journeys.

Many have said it is unfair for people living only a few miles down the road to be allowed to travel free when they have to pay.

Councillor Howard Martin told council cabinet members last night: "At the moment pensioners in this area are disadvantaged particularly in respect of hospital visits."

Councillor Fran Oborski said: "Until this April every district operated the same scheme. For financial constraint reasons this council and Worcester City made cuts taking us back to the travel timings of the national scheme.

"Since then I have had quite a lot of pensioners saying they have been getting onto buses and paying to get to hospital appointments when others are getting on board just past the Mare and Colt pub and are able to use a pass."

Councillor Nathan Desmond, council spokesman for Resources, said: "Earlier in the year we did have to make challenging decisions. However, I think that in the next 12 months other authorities will also have to revert to the off-peak start for travel concessions."

He said he would look at future funding options.