From next April, pensioners in Harlow will be entitled to a bus pass that's completely free. Thanks to the hard work of a number of councillors, but particularly Liberal Democrat councillor Robert Thurston, the new pass will continue to cover the whole of Essex, and go to Bishop's Stortford, starting from 9:00am.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington said:

"This agreement is very good news for Harlow Council and its residents, and from April will mean a better service for local pensioners than the minimum laid down by the Government. The hard work done to ensure a fair outcome, by Cllr Robert Thurston in particular, really has paid off."

Cllr Thurston, who played a leading role in reviewing Harlow's bus pass scheme, added:

"This agreement is a significant advance on the Council's position of a few years ago. It's good value for money, and the time and effort spent negotiating a better deal for Harlow has been well worth while."