MANY grateful users of the hourly 16 bus to Darlington’s West End, which was “saved” by a campaign last year following council austerity cuts, may be unaware that a small minority of pensioners are regularly forgoing their free-travel privilege in an attempt to safeguard the long-term future of this essential service.

Concessionary-pass holders are by far the main travellers on this route.

Scarlet Band was enabled to continue the 16 service only because of a special two-year Government grant. If the route cannot become commercially viable by December 2014 it will be withdrawn.

At a crowded meeting in mid- 2012 of the West End Partnership residents’ group the many pensioners present agreed overwhelmingly in a vote that they would be willing to pay – once in every three journeys was a suggestion – to help achieve that viability.

Well attended though that meeting was, many pensionerusers of this bus will not have been there and do not know of the voluntary payment idea.

Those of us who do pay these occasional £1.40 fares (using your pass at the same time so also registering the concessionary fare) invite others to do the same – a contribution that also stands to benefit younger passengers who depend on the service Peter Ridley, Darlington.