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PENSIONERS are complaining after the Vale of White Horse District Council refused to join other authorities in subsidising an extra 30 minutes for the new bus pass scheme.

The new national bus pass scheme, launched on Tuesday, allows anyone over 60 or disabled to travel free on local buses throughout England between 9.30am and 11pm - but three of Oxfordshire's councils are funding theirs to start at 9am, meeting the extra cost themselves. Nearby West Berkshire District will also run the free service from 9am.

Pensioner Ann Marshall, of Meads Close, Drayton, said: "I question the need for the travel scheme to run until 11pm. Do many senior citizens use this facility?

"Occasional late-evening travel could be met more readily rather than the expectation that senior citizens should finance regular GP and hospital visits in the mornings."

Lewis Beadle, 65, Steventon Road, Drayton, said: "My first reaction is I am a bit miffed with it. I think it should be the same, as it is advertised as a national bus scheme so it should be the same everywhere."

Retired Don Summers, of Hawthorn Crescent, Grove said: "It is a significant factor in planning things because the bus service is not frequent enough to say it does not matter. It does appear that we have been given something nationally only to have it curtailed locally."

Peter Pitts, 65, of Adkin Way, Wantage, said the changes would affect anyone wanting morning appointments at Oxford hospitals. "By the time you have got the next bus to the hospital it is nearer twelve and you have had it for all the morning appointments.

"It is disappointing really."

Joyce Battersby, 66, of St Mary's Green, Abingdon said: "I think it's appalling especially for villagers. My sister lives in Marcham and she would often use the bus to get over to the hospital but her bus pass won't get her there if she gets an early appointment.

"You can't muck hospitals about, they won't give you appointments to tie in with your bus times."

Marcham Parish Council has also written to Vale councillors to ask for a 9am start.

The scheme replaces the Vale council's concessionary bus pass scheme which previously allowed free travel from 9am. The council has a £743,000 budget for the new bus pass scheme.

Council leader Jerry Patterson said: "Although the old scheme did allow travel from 9am this was at the Vale's discretion and the cost fell entirely on Vale council taxpayers.

"We are a relatively small district and we are striving to provide a broad range of services with limited resources.

"Unfortunately, we did not feel that we could continue to sustain such a scheme. However the greater flexibility of the new scheme should more than make up for the loss of half-an-hour's travel time."

Steve Bishop, strategic director at the Vale council, said saving money was a secondary reason for the decision. He said he could not estimate how much money the council would save from the 9.30am start time. But he added: "The cost of the journeys which started before 9.30am last year could easily be as much as £100,000."

He said the main reason for the decision was because the council suspected the scheme was being underfunded by the Government.

A John Radcliffe Hospital spokesman said the changes would not be a problem because patients could usually choose appointment times that meet their travelling needs.

5:10pm Wednesday 2nd April 2008

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