Free bus travel also benefits wider community

WITH reference to the article by Martin Abrams concerning concessionary bus passes (Yorkshire Post, February 18), 
my husband and I are increasingly using our bus passes both for shopping and social reasons.

In doing so, we are supporting other areas by spending our money in shops and in the near future, on a bed and breakfast guest house that we are using when we stay overnight.

In this way communities, not government (through tax on petrol) are getting the benefit of the money in our pocket and we are enjoying the new experience of bus travel. Our latest venture has seen us buy an extra rucksack and waterproof in preparation for our bus travels – again money spent in shops.

Yes, bus travel is free for us but we spend – if only (at times) on a light lunch or coffee – so please don’t cut bus services and lose the spending power of we pensioners.

From: Martin D Stern, Hanover Gardens, Salford.

MARTIN Fletcher (Yorkshire Post, February 19), points out: “Even in fairly full buses, even at the weekend, at least 50 per cent of passengers are OAPs and in the week 90 per cent.”

Without the subsidy from their bus passes, without which many pensioners would not travel at all, most bus routes would be uneconomic except at peak travel times in major conurbations.

Yet there would be a knock-on effect, since it would not be worthwhile for bus companies to maintain a fleet of buses and employ staff, in order to man them, for a couple of hours each morning and evening.

In consequence, they would go out of business and public transport would cease to run altogether.