PERHAPS I may be allowed to respond to the front-page item headed 'Anger as bus firm takes woman's pass' (Evening Press, June 13). The City of York Council introduced new concessionary passes from May 1 and Mrs O'Sullivan was sent an application form in February advising her that she should renew her pass before that date.

When she, and many others, failed to respond to this request it became necessary for the council to ask us to extend the deadline on expired passes for a further month.

This was only necessary because Mrs O'Sullivan and others had failed to renew their pass by the required date. In fact Mrs O'Sullivan didn't renew her pass until June 4.

On May 21 our inspector withdrew Mrs O'Sullivan's expired pass, only after having rung the city council on his mobile phone. He was informed that all requests for new passes had now been processed and that as Mrs O'Sullivan had not submitted an application, her expired pass should be confiscated. The extension on expired passes applied to those who had applied for, but not yet received, a new pass.

Mrs O'Sullivan failed to comply with city council renewal procedures and was therefore the architect of her own misfortune. Not only was she not entitled to any compensation; she actually had the benefit of an expired pass for three weeks before it was withdrawn.

However, having been branded 'a disgrace' for our actions we have sent Mrs O'Sullivan a voucher for a week's free travel!

A P Bell,

Operations Manager,

First York,

James Street, York.

Updated: 10:42 Monday, June 18, 2001