FREE seaside tram rides in Blackpool could be a thing of the past next summer for pensioners from Burnley.

But borough council leaders have signalled that the popular dial-a-bus scheme, in Burnley, will be saved from changes to concessionary travel services.

Town Hall chiefs have been considering a raft of possible changes to cheap-rate bus journeys, in advance of changes to the national picture.

From next April free off-peak bus travel will be available to all bus pass holders throughout the country.

Currently when passengers undertake a journey in Lancashire, the costs are recouped by the local authority area in which they live.

But a new policy will come into force which means the council where the service is actualy boarded has the right to reclaim the fare.

For instance if a bus pass holder from Burnley goes on a day trip to Blackpool, Burnley council can claim for the outgoing leg, but Blackpool council benefits from the return journey.

Transport officials predict that the new system will prove to be very popular with bus pass holders, leading to a review of existing concessionary schemes.

One casualty, according to a report to the borough's leadership and community scrutiny committee, should be the free tram journeys offered to OAPs at Blackpool.

Under the new rules Blackpool council will benefit from the fares, as the trams run within their boundaries, so it is proposed that £2,000 is saved by withdrawing the concession.

Other concessions reviewed include the £42,000 spent on peak-time travel - trips before 9.30am by bus pass holders - and the £20,000 invested in community transport.

Bus pass holders, it is believed, will wait until after 9.30am to travel, if the peak-time concession is shelved, and officials are reluctant to tamper with the 'dial-a-bus' scheme, operated jointly with Pendle council.

The dial-a-bus is a door-to-door designed for those with mobility problems who have trouble accessing mainstream public transport.

Nick Aves, the council's resources director, says in the committee report: "To remove this would adversely affect some of the more disadvantaged members of the local community."

The final decision on the concession will be made at a town hall meeting on Thursday.

*Trams in Blackpool are currently undergoing a major renovation programme and will not be fully operational again until next summer