AS many as 30,000 Southampton pensioners are still waiting for their new bus passes to arrive, the Daily Echo understands.

The over-60s were promised that the passes, entitling them to free national travel, would be delivered by April 1 in line with the rest of the country.

But a month on Southampton City Council has yet to send out a single pass.

Pensioners have no idea when they will arrive as council chiefs say they are waiting on an update from the suppliers.

Click here to download a bus pass application form for Southampton residents

Pensioners' Forum secretary Don Harper said the handling of the situation had been disgraceful.

He said: "Pensioners are getting more and more annoyed.

"Pensioners are worried because bus drivers have told them they won't be able to use their old passes anymore. This is wrong and I reiterate my advice that if anyone has their pass rejected take the details, pay the fare and take the firm to the small claims court."

This is not the first time pensioners have had their bus pass hopes dashed by the council.

When the passes failed to arrive on April 1 they were assured they would be sent out within two weeks. This was then changed to the end of April and has now been put back again.

Pensioner Brenda Parkinson, 75, of Milner Court, Shirley, was one of the first to fall foul of the chaos when she was thrown off a Wilts & Dorset bus for not having a valid pass at the beginning of April.

Now at the beginning of May she is still waiting.

She said: "This is diabolical. This council has really let pensioners down.

"I have sisters in Nottingham and Bradford and they got their passes months ago. Why are we left waiting? They need to get their finger out."

The council's principal transport planner Simon Bell said: "We would like to apologise to people who are waiting for their new passes. They will not be delivered by May 1 as we had hoped."

He went on to say that the delay was caused by technical problems between the previous Smartcard and the new national format.

He confirmed that pensioners would be able to use the old passes for journeys that start or finish in Southampton.

  • Pensioners who want to get a free temporary pass can do so by taking their existing pass to Gateway at the Civic Centre between 9am and 4.30pm.

Don't miss Grand Day Out in the Daily Echo every Friday, giving advice on where to go when you get your bus pass.