IF A Warren (EA, January 14) wants to buy shares in Stagecoach, I am sure its senior management would be absolutely delighted. Unfortunately that will not be possible with Thamesdown Transport as it is still local authority owned.

Thus the purpose of having just two simple and easy-to-use on-bus fares is not to make excess profits - it is to speed up bus services to make them more attractive to all users and potential users, not least those who currently use cars.

With such a simple arrangement, sadly the very few people who travel from just one side of the zone boundary to the other will feel they are paying a high fare for the distance travelled.

However many, many more who do not travel across the zone boundary are now able to travel long distances for a fare as low as or lower than it was five years ago.

Also these days, relatively few passengers need to pay the full adult single fare that Mr Warren quotes. Return fares offer a substantial discount, senior citizens and children can travel at half-fare (unless the Council proceeds with proposals to cut its concessionary fares budget), one day's unlimited travel can be bought for £2.30 and (for regular users) Travelpass tickets can give unlimited travel for a little over £1 per day.

Have zonal fares and our initiatives to improve the bus services worked?

Well in the three months to end of December, Thamesdown carried 6.9 per cent more passengers than a year ago and, in December, this figure was 9.4 per cent.

JOHN OWEN

Managing Director

Thamesdown Transport