A BID by councillors to reinstate free peak time bus travel for pensioners has failed following a heated meeting of the city council.

Labour city councillors asked Worcester City Council to reintroduce the scheme which allows pensioners and disabled people to travel before 9.30am in Worcester.

However, there was anger among Labour members when the monitoring officer John Scarborough advised that their amendment was “not in order”.

This was after they had spent 45 minutes debating the move.

Councillor Paul Denham put forward the amendment to a Conservative motion to “roll forward” money from the last year’s city council budget which had not been spent.

Labour members said they wanted a portion of the £693,000 to be put towards reinstating the bus services.

Coun Denham said: “The £58,000 saved (from cutting peak time travel) amounts to 0.1 per cent of this council’s gross budget. It is something which makes an enormous difference.”

He told the meeting that during canvassing for the local elections, voters had made it clear the “biggest issue” after MPs’ expenses had been concessionary bus travel.

Labour councillor Roger Berry said: “We’ve a windfall here. Why shouldn’t it benefit Worcester citizens?”

Liberal Democrat group leader Sue Askin said the cut service had hit elderly people and voluntary workers who were now having to pay to get to hospital appointments and to work.

The Government subsidises free off-peak bus travel but in April the city council was forced to cut funding for free travel before 9.30am to pensioners and disabled people because of the dire state of its finances.

Conservative councillor Francis Lankester said it was wrong to think of the money as savings which could be spent elsewhere.

He said: “People here are banking savings that we haven’t made yet. I’m not even sure this amendment is in order.”

At that point, Mr Scar-borough advised the council that, having previously agreed the budget, discussing the allocation of money for bus travel meant the amendment was “not in order” according to the rules governing council debates.

Coun Alan Amos, Labour, asked why Mr Scarborough had waited so long to enlighten councillors.

Mr Scarborough said: “I’m more than happy for councillors to approach me before meetings for guidance.”

Your Worcester News previously reported that neighbourong councils had profited from the Gover-nment-funded concessionary bus travel scheme while Worcester had been underfunded by £150,000. This prompted councillors to ask those councils to help foot Worcester’s bill.

Coun Berry had asked Malvern Hills and Wychavon to “pay their portion” and make sure Worcester people got their “fair share”.

Coun Barry Mackenzie-Williams, cabinet member for performance and innovation, said a meeting of those councils’ chief executives was now planned to talk about the issue.