Relief for users of bus passes as 9am start time stays in Bognor

They will still be able to travel from 9am on weekdays without paying from April 1.

The watershed for the passes was due to have been moved back 30 minutes by Arun District Council to help it save money. But a late U-turn by councillors revealed on Monday after they received a 200,000 grant from the government quickly reversed the decision.

Bus passenger Brian Vincent, 71, of King George Court on Sandringham Way, said the later start would have made little difference to the council's costs. "I don't think changing the start time for the passes until 9.30am will save the council much money.

"People will just catch a later bus. I go to Worthing each week to meet my brother, who travels from Brighton, and we will just make the journey after 9.30am.

"But there are times when I have to travel before 9.30am and then I would have to pay," he said.

Eileen Joy, 71, of Campbell Road, said having to catch the bus to Tesco an hour later would entail making a tough choice in her life.

"I catch the bus at 9.10am and it would have to be an hour later," she said. "But I also volunteer and I would have to decide whether I go shopping later or do my voluntary work because I wouldn't have time to do both."

Cllr Robin Brown, Arun's cabinet member for housing and community care, said: "We appreciate the difficulties changing these times would have caused many of the thousands of people who are holders of the free bus pass and who rely on it as their only means of getting around. As soon as news of the funding came through we acted quickly. I am delighted we are now able to make this u-turn and keep the travel times the same for the next year."

Some 17,500 Bognor area residents have the free bus passes. They include under-60s with a series of medical conditions such as poor sight.

The 9am Monday to Friday start for the passes has been in force since April 2006. Arun kept the time two years ago even when the national bus pass scheme was brought in by the government with a 9.30am start. Passes can be used all day at weekends.

This is likely to be the last year the district council looks after the bus pass scheme as government proposesto move it to county councils from April 2011.

l Please note that the council's Arun Times magazine was printed before the latest decision was taken and contains wrong information about the pass start times.

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