MORE than 6,000 pensioners and disabled Worcester residents have been told to continue using their concessionary bus passes for two more months - even though they were supposed to expire at the end of the May.

Worcester City Council announced the extension because of pending negotiations with bus operators First in the Midlands over the actual running-cost of the Concessionary Travel Scheme.

Meanwhile the city council has commissioned an independent survey to establish travelling patterns and verify the cost the scheme.

A spokesperson said: "Despite the expiry date stated on the passes, they remain in force at least until the end of July and you should continue to use them regardless."

This year, the city council increased the funding allocated for the scheme to £580,000, a £60,000 increase on last year.

First requested an additional £131,000 - an increase that the city council has described as completely unjustified.

Faced with the prospect of a major budget overspend if it agrees to First's demands, the city council's chief finance officer Grahame Lucas said: "It is in the best interests of the city as a whole to defer the final decision pending the publication of properly-verified figures regarding actual passenger numbers and average fares.

"In view of the considerable uncertainties over key aspects of the calculation of reimbursement to the bus company, it would be prudent to defer any final decision on the scheme until the council is better informed about the true cost.

"As this is more than half a million pounds of the public's money we're talking about, we owe it to taxpayers to make sure that that money is spent in the most prudent way."

First spokesman Dawid Maciejewski said: "We would like to reassure our customers that our drivers will accept the passes for another two months."

The Concessionary Travel Scheme pass run between June 1 to May 31 annually.

The independent survey is expected to take place over the next few weeks, and customers are to continue to use the passes until further notice.