THE council meeting on Monday, December 1, saw the Conservative group use all their votes to kill off free bus travel for pensioners and the disabled in Redditch after 20 years.

They claim that because free travel would not help those elderly and disabled people who cannot use buses, those who can use them must pay fares.

Ending free travel does nothing to help those who cannot use a bus pass.

Secondly, they argue it would increase council tax.

My own experience as a councillor for many years shows me that it is relatively simple arithmetic. If more money was needed, calculations indicate the average council taxpaying household in Redditch would have to find an extra 13-14 pence per week.

The hard-hearted Tories prefer to avoid that by making pensioners and disabled people pay anything from 30-40 pence each time they get on a bus.

That could cost an OAP between £31-£41 each year, even if they only made one journey each week.

The council received a petition of 3,200 names against the Tory scheme and so Labour councillors also proposed that the matter should be decided by a townwide postal ballot in a referendum.

That was voted out by the combined Tory and Liberal councillors.

Clearly they were afraid of what the result might be.

ALBERT WHARRAD

Ibstock Close

Winyates

l I DISAGREE with your headline that all is lost about free bus travel for pensioners and the disabled (Advertiser, December 3).

Get together and kick out the ones who voted for it.

My uncle, Harry Taylor, was known as the father of Redditch Council and would turn in his grave at such an impost on the old folk.

Wake up and get organised, the future is in your hands.

DENNIS TAYLOR

Fulham Road

Port Augusta

South Australia