NATIONAL Express West Midlands is giving Black Country pensioners a special gift this Christmas.

The bus operator is introducing a £1 single fare for senior citizens to travel by bus before their OAP free bus pass becomes valid at 9.30am.

National Express has worked with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) – the transport arm of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) – to make the single fare deal possible.

Tom Stables, managing director, said: “National Express West Midlands buses are for everyone. So I’m delighted to offer this £1 single fare to our senior citizens.”

The new fair for senior citizens will be available on National Express busses from January 2, 2018.

Roger Lawrence, lead member for transport on the WMCA, added: “This is yet another example of how our ‘Bus Alliance’ partnership with National Express is helping to keep fares as low as possible and in this case actually reduce them.

“TfWM already provides older and disabled people with free travel after 9.30am on not just buses but also local trams and trains.

“This new £1 single fare will provide an extra helping hand for many older people, especially those on lower incomes, who need to travel by bus earlier in the day.

“The work we have done with National Express to introduce this £1 single fare also means there is no extra cost to local taxpayers, so it really is good news all round.”

About 20 per cent of the West Midlands population is made up of senior citizens – higher than the UK average of 17 per cent – meaning more than 500,000 pensioners qualify for this new single fare.

WMCA Transport Delivery Committee’s Richard Worrall said he hopes other bus operators who do not currently offer the fare will now follow suit.

Andrea Stanton, of the West Midlands Pensioners’ Convention, said: “This is so important for pensioners who have to get to hospital appointments before 9.30am. You can’t always pick your slot for a hospital appointment or clinic, so this will make those visits so much easier.

“It’ll also help pensioners who help out with family – if you have to get round to take the grandchildren to school, this £1 single fare before 9.30am will be perfect.”