A BUS passenger on his way to a hospital appointment was told that he couldn’t use his bus pass because he was a few minutes too early.

Iain Erskine, 61, is calling for a change to the scheme’s rules which refuse free travel to pensioners at peak times.

Mr Erskine, of Weymouth, boarded a First bus from Weymouth to Dorchester just before 9am to travel to an appointment at Dorset County Hospital.

But he was refused free travel by the bus driver and paid a full £1.60 adult fare for the journey.

He said: “If you are going to the hospital, you are going for a reason.

“People my age are generally going for an appointment. They pay for these passes for people and they turn round and say ‘you cannot use it for that’. It would be nice to see this changed.”

Councillor Christine James, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s transport spokeswoman, said the council cannot make exceptions for passengers who are travelling to a hospital at peak times.

She added: “The local bus service does not have the capacity to offer free travel to pensioners at peak time, when fare-paying passengers are commuting to work, college or school and the buses are very busy.

“Even if the capacity issue could be overcome, the council does not have the additional funds it would need to subsidise the bus companies to extend the free travel times.”

While the borough council’s restrictions on bus travel times are in keeping with the national bus pass scheme, West Dorset District Council allows its residents with bus passes to use their bus pass at all times.

Residents can use their bus passes on any day of the week but must start their journey within the West Dorset area.

The national bus pass scheme allows free travel anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm.