I really worry about what will happen if this isn't sorted out by 2015. It would be unbareable if Tyne and Wear suffered the same fate as County Durham residents; where commercial operators choose to exploit the times kids are travelling to and from school, where villages are without decent services, and some villages are without services at all depending what day it is..

I really can't see the concessionary travel scheme lasting the duration of this government - which is a shame. However, I'd rather see it ended and mirrored with the a scheme similar to what Nexus provide for the Under 16s. It makes more sense than one concession getting nothing, and the other getting everything.

I've said time and time again though that the formula behind it is insane. It's also (why I believe) that the likes of short hop fares, returns, and bus to bus tickets have become a thing of the past. The higher your average ticket price the more of a reimbursement you get.