FREE taxi rides instead of bus passes could soon be available to some pensioners in the Malvern Hills area.

Elderly people living in isolated villages such as Alfrick, where bus services are few and infrequent, would get most benefit from the district council scheme.

Resident Frances Emson says she is 'stuck' in the village, as the bus service is poor and she does not drive.

While she has a bus pass, she is rarely able to use it and would welcome taxi vouchers as an alternative.

"It would certainly make my life easier," she said. "I don't have a car and I'm stuck.

"There's a bus to Malvern but not to Worcester and sometimes I really need to go there."

The proposals were also welcomed by George Waugh, of Malvern Age Concern.

He said that bus passes were useful to some but for those in certain parts of the district, they were '100 per cent off nothing'.

"Anything which improves the ability of an elderly person to get out and about, I would support," said Mr Waugh.

The issue was raised by Coun Philip Rumney at a meeting of full council on Tuesday.

He said: "As the Government is now preparing to fund a bus pass for all of the elderly, would the council now be prepared to consider starting a taxi voucher scheme as an alternative option to the bus pass?"

Coun Roger Sutton said the council's Passenger Transport Forum was in the middle of drawing up a public transport strategy and was already looking into introducing taxi vouchers under its concessionary fares scheme.