THE free local bus travel for the disabled and pensioners is to be warmly welcomed by the long campaigning pensioners' group such as Worcester City Forum for Older People and the National Pensioners Convention (NPC).

More than half of Worcester's 13,000 plus tax paying pensioners who use public transport are now coming into line with other pensioners across the country who also enjoy free travel.

We would also ask the Government for pressure and influence to be put on to the bus companies who are still operating a less than satisfactory service, with buses not only late, but not arriving at all, and the withdrawal of bus routes without consultation. It is pointless to have free travel with no buses to ride on.

Now that the financial burden of more than £500,000 overall costs for bus passes is to be taken off the city council budgets, perhaps this money could be used to update and maintain the public toilets currently destined to be closed by the city council.

BRIAN HUNT,

Chairman, Worcester City Forum for Older People.