Tram concession

FURTHER to your recent article (19 March) concerning the possibility that senior citizens may not be allowed to travel on Edinburgh's trams for free as part of the concessionary travel scheme.

Perhaps now is the right time to examine whether the practice of giving senior citizens free bus travel and the under-16s reduced fares on public transport is moral and legal. To purposefully show preference to two groups of society to the detriment of all those aged between is discrimination.

I personally don't grudge giving the elderly their free bus rides, but perhaps, in these tough financial times, this needs to be looked at; after all there are plenty of older people who can afford the fares. Similarly for the youths of the country getting their reduced fares, they have only a limited income so you can in some ways understand it.

MICHAEL TRAILL

Mount Lodge Place

Portobello

Edinburgh