IPSWICH Buses have promised pensioners that their bus passes will be honoured – even if they have not yet had them updated.But beware if you forget your pass there is no guarantee you will get a concessionary price – even if you have been around for 85 years.

IPSWICH Buses have promised pensioners that their bus passes will be honoured – even if they have not yet had them updated.

But beware if you forget your pass there is no guarantee you will get a concessionary price – even if you have been around for 85 years.

Douglas Lloyd has been travelling on Ipswich Buses all his life and for the last 20 years he has had no trouble paying his fare on his way in to town.

That is until he got on the number seven to town on Thursday and was promptly told he would have to pay £1.

"I put my 30p in the machine and went to sit down but the driver told me I would have to pay one pound. He told me I would have to get off if I did not pay the full fare.

"I did not have my pass with me but he could see me wobbling along with my stick and surely he could tell I was old enough.

"I felt quite upset as I think at my age I deserve a little more respect. This is the first time I have had any trouble and it left me feeling quite angry," said the 85-year-old of Allenby Road, Ipswich.

Ipswich Buses spokesman, Malcolm Robson, said all their drivers had been told to accept the old passes.

"Our new passes first came out in January and this was well advertised in the buses and in the newspapers," he said.

"However we told all drivers to accept the old passes from pensioners as we were aware many would not get round to changing their passes.

"The gentleman in question did not have a pass at all so the driver was well within his rights to refuse to take him unless he paid the full fair."