Liberal Democrat County Councillors have been battling to make sure local people get the bus passes they are entitled to.

Local residents from across the County have faced long delays for bus pass renewals, with some facing lengthy waits and having to resubmit documents.

County Councillor Kareen Hastrick (Meriden Tudor) said, “I have had to intervene where local residents have had to wait so long their old passes have run out.  Fortunately bus companies have granted people a grace period, despite their passes having expired.

“I have raised this problem in County Hall repeatedly and asked why so many people are having to wait so long and not had a proper response.  This is yet another service at County Hall that the conservatives are mismanaging, although if people cannot get on buses at least they won’t be bounced around over the potholed roads that the Conservatives have also failed to deal with.”

“I have raised this with County Council staff several times now and have not had a satisfactory answer about what is going on, which I find all the more strange given how many of my fellow County Councillors have been helping local residents across the County with the same issue!”

No-one is safe from this problem, County Councillor Malcolm Cowan (Handside and Peartree) commented “I recently sent off my renewals for my passport and my bus pass, both on the same day.

“I was absolutely stunned when my passport returned first.  Are Herts County Council carrying out greater security checks on people who just want to get on a bus, than the government do for people flying, as I cannot think of why else it would quicker to renew a passport than a bus pass.  This is sheer madness and shows that the system is failing”