Plans to extend free bus travel

About �200,000 could be spent extending a free bus travel scheme in a County Durham town.

Currently those over 60 or who are disabled can travel free on buses in Darlington, but only after 0930.

Darlington Council has managed to save money and is considering using it to extend free travel at all times.

The council will consider the proposal to extend the concessionary bus travel on Monday, and if approved it will come into affect on 21 July.

John Williams, Leader of the Council, said: "The Council's good financial management has given us this windfall which I will be recommending is used to extend the concessionary fare scheme.

"We had to make some tough choices in the last budget and were unable to fund the scheme for travel before 9.30am, which I know was unpopular with the over-60s.

"We have listened to their concerns and as soon as this money became available it was obvious to me what it should be spent on."

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