GORDON Brown should have made sure we can afford to pay for all the handouts he had already sanctioned before making more.

Free travel for OAPs is not viable. Free travel all over the country sounds good but that is all it is - hype. Bus companies are not being reimbursed enough so consequently services are being cut.

I used to buy OAP Explorer Tickets and go from Southampton to Poole, Bournemouth and Salisbury but there is only about one bus to Bournemouth in the morning and that goes too early for me.

For fare paying passengers who need to get to work this is not good. Some people are on shift work.

I have not contributed for free fares apart from my rates but I would like easy access to an NHS dentist to see to my old teeth for which I have paid for with my National Insyurance or as I say not free at point of need but paid up front. Nothing is free - someone has to pay.

R PHILLIPS, Netley Abbey.