ALMOST 20,000 local people will be able to travel free on the buses next year.

Figures obtained by Leigh MP Andy Burnham indicate that 18,243 people in the Leigh constituency will able to benefit from free local bus travel from April 2006.

Chancellor Gordon Brown announced in last week's Budget that all people over 60 and disabled people would be eligible for free, off-peak bus travel next spring if Labour is re-elected to Government. Many local pensioners have longed called for the Greater Manchester area to have a free travel scheme as enjoyed by pensioners elsewhere in the country.

Leigh's Andy Burnham has been among a number of MPs in Westminster calling for such a scheme and has warmly welcomed the Chancellor's announcement. But he has written to Gordon Brown urging him to ensure that the scheme is designed to allow local travel by pensioners across county boundaries.

He has drawn the Chancellor's attention to the fact that the Leigh area is close to two other county boundaries - Cheshire and Merseyside - and that many people travel frequently across those boundaries to places like Glazebury, Culcheth, Warrington and Newton-le-Willows. As the same issue will face other towns located close to county boundaries, the MP is urging Gordon Brown to get passenger transport bodies to strike reciprocal agreements on local, cross-boundary journeys as part of the new scheme.

He says: "My feeling is that this announcement by Gordon Brown will go down very well in the Leigh area.

"Many older people in our area have to rely heavily on local bus services to get around. They can spend several pounds a week on buses and much more if they have a need to travel on a regular basis, such as a family member in hospital.

"Labour's plans will benefit pensioners who don't have their own car and take away the worry about the cost of travel. It will save them money, but also give many local pensioners more freedom to get out and about. It might encourage more people to use public transport, thereby taking cars off the road.

"But it is important to get the detail right. As we are located close to Cheshire and Merseyside, many local people travel regularly to places across the county boundary. I see no reason why those journeys should not also be included."