THERE are some misconceptions about the concessionary bus fares scheme and the changes proposed which I'd like to clarify.

Some people believe bus passes encourage bus operators to maintain particular services. It doesn't. Our scheme is intended to reimburse them for the costs of carrying those passengers, so it's intended to be neutral.

Bus routes fall into three potential categories - those an operator can run on a commercial basis, those which can be viable with subsidies from the county, and those which operators have already cut and which therefore can only be made to work if community transport fills the gap.

We all know the council tax raised by the county has risen sharply every year since 1997. One of the factors is the extent and cost of bus subsidies.

Both the county and the borough council have a duty to try to stabilise declining bus services here, which is what our proposals for the new concessionary fares scheme is about.

Money previously approved to expand community transport in itself depends on changing the way the council's concessionary fares budget is spent. Those who want to maintain free bus passes at any cost (and the additional cost would be significant) were challenged to identify what other service they'd cut to fund this.

They have ignored that inconvenient question, claiming "reserves" can be spent. This is nonsense. The council has been through repeated exercises over the past five years to begin to address current spending deficits, as even Labour had to finally face the reality budgets had to be balanced.

What we are trying to do is to address the serial cuts in services by allocating sufficient funds to improve community transport in a meaningful way. This will help those who are already prisoners in their own homes to have some mobility.

The Liberal Democrats supported our analysis of what needed to be done. This is the first time they've shown independence from Labour and I welcome it.

If we leave things as they are (and cut services elsewhere or raise council tax) the underlying problem will not be solved. We would still be relying on subsidies from the county which may not be sustainable and on the goodwill of bus operators, which would be unwise. Our overall aim is to achieve the best outcome for the 13,000 people who qualify for concessionary travel. The silent majority of those seem willing to wait and see what the scheme offers before they rush to judgment.

Council Leader

Gavin Smithers