OAPs risk losing free bus passes

More than 94,000 pensioners could lose their right to travel free on Black Country buses because they still have not applied for their new passes.

The deadline for applications is September 30 and anyone who has failed to apply for the new one will have to pay full fare.

New concessionary passes allowing the over 60s to travel free on all local buses in England were introduced in April.

There are 537,200 people in the West Midlands who are eligible and so far 82.5 per cent of them have received new cards.

Centro, which regulates public transport in the region, has had one of the most successful take-ups of the new passes.

But Centro today confirmed that around 17.5 per cent of pensioners, a total of 94,010, had still not applied.

Spokeswoman Babs Coombes said: "We are still getting applications through and have carried out a marketing campaign to let people know of the September 30 date and remind them that they need to apply for a new national concessionary pass if they have not already done so.

The backlog forced Centro to abandon an early deadline for forms to be returned.

For details call 0121 200 2787.