A Lichfield councillor has described a u-turn on concessionary bus pass restrictions as “a great Valentine’s Day gift” for vulnerable residents.
Staffordshire County Council made an 11th hour change to budget proposals that would have prevented all pass holders unable to use peak services before 9.30am.
Cllr Colin Ball, Labour member for Curborough on Lichfield City Council and Lichfield District Council, said that the proposal would have hit vulnerable residents hard.
“I think that this will be seen as a great Valentine’s Day gift by many people, who must have been worried about losing the benefit of bus travel before 9.30am.”
Cllr Ball had raised concerns with the Conservative leader of Staffordshire County Council, Cllr Philip Atkins.
And he said that while he recognises that the funding cuts continuing to filter down from the government meant councils faced tough decisions, the answer was not to take the axe to key services.
Cllr Ball said: “Councillor Atkins seems to have listened to me, at least, in part and agreed to some of the changes that I was arguing for when I emailed him on this a few weeks ago.”
