THE introduction of free bus travel for pensioners should have been a good thing. Sadly, the scheme seems to get messier by the day.

We have been reporting for more than a year that the scheme, brought in last April across England, is unfair to a traditional county ‘capital’ like Worcester.

Every time a pensioner takes advantage of the scheme, for instance by travelling into Worcester from Evesham for a shopping trip, it is the city council that bears the brunt of the cost.

Now new figures produced by the city’s Labour MP Mike Foster appear to prove the point, though we accept he has a political point to make with each of the district councils involved being Conservative-led.

The distribution of Government funding for free bus travel for OAPs simply has not been fair.

Worcester’s under-funding for the last financial year amounts to almost £150,000 while its neighbouring Wychavon, Malvern Hills, Redditch and Wyre Forest have substantial surpluses.

If Worcester is £150,000 out of pocket while the other four councils have profited by almost £500,000 then it is clear the general level of funding available in Worcestershire was more than enough to cover the costs of the scheme.

Yet council tax payers in Worcester are facing cuts in services because of the shortfall and OAPs are now restricted in the times they can travel free.

Surely the best immediate way forward is for the other councils to make good Worcester’s shortfall from their surpluses – and then to ensure the city gets more than its neighbours in the future?

We are pleased to hear Worcestershire’s local council leaders are to get around the table to discuss the issue. We might suggest someone locks the door behind them and only opens it when the problem is solved.