PENSIONERS have reacted angrily to news that concessionary bus passes are set to soar in Darlington.

The cost of prepaid bus basses giving unlimited travel throughout the borough will rise by £15 a year from April.

On Tuesday, the cabinet is expected to approve proposals to increase the urban bus pass from £52 to £67 and the borough pass from £62 to £77.

The move, which will also see the council's subsidy to bus companies rise by £10 to £45, is claimed to be the only way to stop main operator Stagecoach from pulling out of the scheme altogether.

The situation came to a head at the end of December when the council was told that unless the revenue from passes increased, the bus company would stop taking it.

Since then the council has been in intense negotiations with Stagecoach and only last week reached agreement over an overall £25 rise.

The half-fare bus pass valid for three years and the one-year voucher scheme will remain, with voucher holders receiving an extra £10 worth to keep the scheme equitable.

Ken Brown, secretary of the Darlington Senior Citizens' Association, was unaware of the situation before being contacted by the D&S Times.

His reaction was one of disbelief and anger.

He said: "The council tax is going up by 12.5pc and now they are hitting the pensioner with a bus pass increase. Pensions are only going up by 2.5pc so how do we pay for all this?

"I can see the council's problem, but I believe they have misspent a great deal of money in the past year. Two years ago the council saved £100,000 by introducing a charge for a pass, now they are increasing the charge again. Where has the money gone?

"Darlington pensioners will be angered by this price rise and I think a lot will go for the half-fare pass instead. Surely a 50/50 split would have been a fairer way if they had to increase it by £25."

Ann Carruthers, transport policy manager, said the rise was regrettable but necessary to keep the pre-paid option which would otherwise be withdrawn, leaving only the minimum half-fare pass scheme.

"A pre-paid pass is still good value for money. Five return journeys a week will cost urban pass holders only 13p a journey and those with a borough pass 15p a journey.

"The average single fare on a bus is 64p so the scheme represents good value and people can still split the cost by buying six-monthly passes.