I feel I must respond to some of the comments and statements about to me that have been posted on the Dorset Echo’s website by individuals who hide behind a pseudonym, rather than make it clear to everybody who they are.

Their issue appears to be the concessionary fares scheme and here the Council’s view is very clear.

The Government claim to have fully funded the scheme, yet in areas that have high visitor numbers such as Weymouth and Portland the underfunding of the scheme amounts to £500,000.

That’s the equivalent of an 8.8% increase in council tax for that one service alone, which was only avoided by the Council taking measures to protect tax payers.

The scheme is not sustainable in its present form and I, along with other members and council officers, have for the last year been trying to discuss this issue with the county council and with the government.

The pot for these schemes is not big enough so where does anyone suggest we get the money from?

The facts of the situation are that many more pensioners are using the concessionary fare scheme, many of those pensioners are not Weymouth and Portland residents and this has led to situations where fare paying passengers trying to get to work have been unable to travel on some buses.

That is not ‘getting at pensioners’, but a statement of fact.

All these problems could have been resolved if the scheme had been properly thought out and funded by the Government.

The starting time of the scheme was set by the Government and most authorities have stuck to that time. The logic is very simple.

There are a limited number of buses available and they are used to take people to work, school and college in the morning.

After that time the buses have capacity to take concessionary fare passengers, but those journeys still have to be paid for by taxpayers.

As the council’s brief holder for transport I am always happy to explain the council’s policy and frequently do through the pages of the Echo.

I would urge anyone who wishes to discuss these matters to contact me direct, or through the Echo, but to have the courage of their convictions and put their name to it, rather than hide behind the cloak of some fantasy pseudonym.

Coun Christine James.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council