WYRE Forest residents entitled to concessionary travel will be able to travel free - at all times - on journeys starting and ending in the district.

In a scheme costing an estimated £418,000 a year, approved by Wyre Forest district councillors, people qualifying will have more mobility from April.

The decision followed five months of discussions and consultations looking into adopting a national concessionary travel scheme and Worcestershire-wide scheme and identifying financial resources to expand the new scheme beyond statutory minimum requirements.

During their fact-finding, members of the council group considering the issue tried out bus services to find out at first hand what problems users encountered.

At the second of six meetings held to examine options, group members considered a draft report, by JMB Consultants, regarding a county-wide scheme.

As part of the process, the Shuttle/Times and News published a questionnaire so readers could have their say on proposals.

Most respondents to the questionnaire said they wanted free travel across the district and county, together with free bus travel out of the county to neighbouring towns in the Black Country and Birmingham. They also wanted free bus travel at any time of day.

Following a meeting of council group members with representatives of Dial-a-Ride and Disability Action Wyre Forest, the importance of the options of cross-county travel and travel before 9.30am were highlighted.

At another meeting, with representatives of First Bus, group chairman, Councillor Fran Oborski, highlighted responses from 214 questionnaires, as well as comments of local residents.

The cost of free travel anywhere, starting and finishing in Wyre Forest, would be £418,000, JMB Consultants estimated, which would be £158,000 more than the existing scheme.

The questionnaire also had the added benefit of raising awareness of the concessionary travel scheme among people who either did not know they could take advantage of it or thought they were ineligible. The revised scheme was approved by Wyre Forest District Council.

Bus users name value for money as key factor

MORE than three in four respondents to the concessionary travel questionnaire published in the Shuttle/Times and News used the Wyre Forest scheme.

Seventy-seven per cent of the 214 people who replied took advantage of it, with 53 per cent citing value for money as their reason for opting for it.

Almost two-thirds of respondents - 62 per cent - lived in Kidderminster, with 14 per cent in Stourport, 10 per cent in Bewdley and its surrounding area, with the remainder spread around the villages of Chaddesley, Blakedown, Wolverley and Cookley.

Around four out of 10 people quizzed - 39 per cent - said they used local buses a few times a week before they qualified for concessionary fares.

The figure rose to 54 per cent once users became eligible for the scheme.

The majority of respondents indicated they would use public transport more if there was free bus travel at any time of the day - 57 per cent - and if there was free travel across the district and county - 59 per cent.

More routes would be welcomed by 61 per cent of people although a majority - 47 per cent - did not opt for more buses.

Three-quarters of people - 74 per cent - were aware of the new Government scheme which would introduce free travel across Wyre Forest from April.

Users were, generally, happy with the administration of bus passes, with 65 per cent considering it good and only five per cent thinking it poor.

Respondents using taxi tokens, rather than bus passes, felt £25 worth of tokens was not enough to last a year.

In an order of preference of the most important features of concessionary travel, free bus travel across the district and county came top, followed by a similar arrangement to travel in and out of the county to the Black Country and Birmingham and free bus travel at any time of day.

Delays come under fire

A QUESTIONNAIRE circulated to pensioners and others eligible for concessionary fares highlighted problems they had faced when using buses.

Among them were unreliability of buses, poor service on Sundays and bank holidays and a lack of information about cancellations and delays.

Bus drivers came in for some criticism, with claims they drove off before passengers were seated and that they were rude and unsociable.

Users also wanted proper seats at bus stations and stops, rather than rails to lean against, and roofs on all bus stops.

Timetables were said to be out of date and badly placed and difficult to read.

Buses were described as often being dirty and smelly.

Suggestions by questionnaire respondents to improve matters included putting inspectors or customer services representatives on buses to provide assistance, information and advice.