PEOPLE who have the new national concessionary bus pass are having problems getting it scanned into bus ticket machines.
The issue is not confined to Thurrock, but is happening across the country and bus operators and councils are aware of the issue and are working to try and sort things out.
Bus operators in Thurrock have been told they should allow passengers to board the buses with pass holders simply showing their pass to the driver who would manually enter the data to the machine.
There are around 150 issuing authorities in the country and Thurrock Council has been warned it could take a month before the local problem is rectified.
I used my bus pass in Newcastle recently without any problem.
Long Live the Bus Pass!