Picture the scenario.

My wife and I travel to visit my sister who lives with her family on the outskirts of Hereford.

We are pensioners living in Swansea who hold Welsh concessionary travel cards which the Welsh Office kindly allow us to travel free on public transport.

Sadly, as soon as we cross the border into England, these passes are no longer valid and we pay full bus fares.

Likewise, when our family cross the border from England into Wales, the same conditions apply to them, and they pay full fares to travel in Swansea.

In both cases we are therefore reluctantly compelled to use our cars, unnecessarily adding to traffic congestion and air pollution.

I have recently written to both relevant transport ministers in England and Wales to question why.

Both gave similar replies that in the devolved policy areas, there are separate schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and it "would not be a straightforward matter because different admin arrangements apply in each of the countries".

Therefore there are no immediate plans to initiate a reciprocal cross-border scheme which I understand is too difficult to implement.

What could be so difficult in just allowing all those who hold qualifying concessionary travel cards to travel free throughout the UK?

Robert Rhodes
Swansea

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