RETURN tickets have been abolished on a well-used Droitwich Spa bus service.

Passengers of the Westlands to Droitwich town centre bus, operated by First, are no longer able to buy a return ticket for their journey.

Commuters are now only able to buy a £1 single journey ticket, no matter how far they are travelling. Under 16s pay a standard single fare of 70p.

Town councillor, John Cook, is angry at the move.

"This is scandalous. What about the young mothers on Westlands and the people without bus passes?" he said.

He claims people were not made aware of this change to the new pricing scheme, which was launched earlier this month.

"We should have been notified of this by a poster on board the buses. And First should have notified Droitwich Town Council," fumed Councillor Cook.

However, David Maciejewski, spokesman for First, said the new fares were publicised through posters on board the buses.

"This was a route with a multitude of fares. There were no return tickets available before nine in the morning, and we felt that in order to simplify this we would pilot a standard one-way fare," he said.

Mr Maciejewski said the one-way standard fare scheme was already in operation in parts of the Wyre Forest, Worcester city and Redditch.

"Standard one-way fares have been used in London and Manchester for a long time. Worcestershire has been slow on the uptake of this."

He said the new scheme does not affect senior citizens with bus passes.

"Pensioners with Droitwich Town Council passes still go for free and those with the Wychavon council passes still pay half fare, which is now 50p."

Mr Maciejewski added: "Some bus companies no longer offer half fares for under 16s but we are sensitive to the needs of our local residents."

emily.bridgewater@midlands.

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