Commenting, Simon Burns MP said:

“The Government has failed to fully fund the new National Concessionary Bus Fare Scheme that comes into effect on 1st April.  This will have a dramatic impact on Chelmsford Borough Council because it has been assessed that they should receive, from the Government, £1.1 million to fully fund the Scheme but they have only been given £413,000 by the Government which leaves a shortfall of £738,000.  It is most unfortunate that what is a good scheme that will benefit pensioners and the disabled has been short-measured in its funding by the Government.

I am disappointed that, in the Minister’s wind up speech (Rt Hon. Rosie Winterton, MP, Department of Transport), she failed to address this point and merely parrotted how wonderful the Government scheme was.”

Click here to view speech ‘Funding of the National Concessionary Bus Scheme’