THOSE who have so vociferously criticised Bromsgrove District Council's new concessionary fares scheme fail to appreciate that the new Central Government dictat has effectively doubled the number of qualifying residents entitled to the concession.

The old scheme offered a free bus pass and a free car parking permit.

Qualifying residents, however, could not have both, which made a lot of sense and enabled the council to offer a free bus fare concession.

Nothing is free in this world, however, as nearly £500,000 has to be paid to those coach operators who participate in our scheme.

Like most matters in which Central Government interferes and does not understand, the result is usually a worse rather than a better service.

Now we have a potential to double the number of residents who qualify for a concession, the only way to ensure we do not overshoot our budget is to introduce the new fare scheme, which offers a limited free fare up to a maximum single fare of £1.20 and a 50 per cent subsidy for single fares above £2.40.

There are, I understand, only 10 local authorities in England that do not offer a fare concession of sorts to their elderly and disabled.

It would have been far too logical for this Government to concentrate its efforts on those 10 authorities rather than interfere with the concessions offered by everybody else.

If this Government had left us well alone, the qualifying residents of Bromsgrove district would have continued to enjoy free fares concessions.

Nick Psirides

Leader

Bromsgrove District Council

Rednal Hill Lane

Rubery