Essex pensioners and children, including students, could be set to get a new deal on bus fares.
The county council is trying to arrange a flat rate fare for these groups, which could mean they would be able to travel anywhere within the county at a fixed rate.
The news was given to a meeting of the Mid-Essex Area Forum at Maldon on Tuesday by the Conservative-controlled county council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, Cllr Rodney Bass.
Outlining a new roads and transport policy, on which there will be consultation with district, borough and parish councils, he said: ''We will try to introduce a flat rate bus fare for all children and pensioners.''
Cllr Bass explained later: ''This idea came out of the Essex Youth Parliament, and I am very taken with it.
"I think people are thoroughly confused by the different structures in place at present, with the combination of various concessionary fares and other things.
''It would be better to try to develop a system whereby you could board a bus anywhere in Essex for a flat fare for people, say, under 16, or under 18, and pensioners.
''It would simplify the situation a great deal, but I do not under-estimate the complexity of getting that across to the 33 different bus operators in Essex. It will require a bit of co-ordination but we are determined to try to introduce that kind of thing.''
Published Friday, June 6, 2003
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