THERE IS unambiguously good news this week for everyone over 60. The government is paying local authorities to provide free local bus transport from 9.30 am to 11 pm every weekday, and all day at weekends.

Long distance coaches won’t be included. But any pensioner going, say, from Bourne to Peterborough will be assured of free travel.

And because the new system will operate all over England if retired people, perhaps with leisure to travel and explore for the first time in their lives, want to cover say, Cornwall or the Lake District, they will be able to do so for free.

This is a great opportunity for older people, and to the extent that they decide to use buses rather than cars, a positive contribution to reducing carbon emissions and global warming.

But there is one category of our community in and around Bourne - and a particularly deserving one - for whom the announcement of the new system is unrelievedly bad news.

Under the transport voucher scheme which South Kesteven District Council has run until now, all pensioners were eligible to receive vouchers, which could be used for buses or for taxis. Those too frail or immobile to use buses could be sure of a number of free taxi rides a year.

I quite understand that the council cannot continue with their general voucher scheme now that the new national free bus pass has been introduced, even though the latter is entirely financed by central government. Indeed, I would be the last person to urge the council to increase the council tax to pay for the continuation of that scheme. I am fighting enough battles to keep the council tax down as it is.

But could taxi vouchers not be given exclusively to the disabled? I have no idea how much that would cost, but I have written to the chairman of South Kesteven District Council asking the question, and requesting her to consider the suggestion.

If anyone feels like lobbying their district councillor this is probably a good time to do it.