GETTING older has to have some perks. After a lifetime of paying taxes, pensioners have a right to expect to receive some benefits to go with what is a pretty meagre state pension.

One of the most popular of these has been the bus pass, which allows over-60s to travel for free after 9.30am.

That is why many older people will be unhappy to hear an East Lancashire councillor say that some of them are “massively misusing” the bus pass.

Blackburn councillor Alan Cottam has claimed that restrictions should be placed on the free bus pass so that pensioners can only make a fixed number of trips a week.

Pensioners spoken to by the Lancashire Telegraph were angered by the suggestion that they were exploiting the card, which cannot be used at peak times.

Coun Law Cottam’s call to restrict the use of the bus pass further is unfair and should not be followed through.

But his point that the government is not giving councils enough to fund the free travel should be examined.

Councils should not be left paying for the shortfall in funding, which could have a knock-on effect on other services.