COUNCILLORS are preparing to thrash out details of a scheme that will bring half-price bus travel to pensioners across North Yorkshire.

Richmondshire district councillors were due to meet last night to consider whether their authority should take part in a county-wide initiative providing unrestricted travel for half-fare.

Local authorities are discussing the possible joint scheme after an announcement last month by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. He said that all councils would have to offer pensioners and disabled people a minimum of half-price bus travel from next April.

Although councils are still negotiating costs and details of the proposed joint project, independent consultants Aspen Burrow Crocker are recommending that Richmondshire should participate fully.

And whether councillors agree to a joint or independent scheme, they have also been urged to press for Richmondshire's boundaries to be stretched to include Darlington in the scheme.

The consultants' report says the council would face criticism from places such as Stanwick, Barton and Croft at the northern end of the district, if Darlington was not incorporated.

The report concludes: "It is recommended that Richmondshire participate fully in the North Yorkshire scheme.

"There will be overall administration and reimbursement cost benefits in being part of a wider scheme and in addition, the group acting together will have much greater purchasing power for passes and issuing equipment.

"Of undoubted concern to the council will be issues surrounding extensions to the scheme outside the North Yorkshire area. As these extensions will not benefit all authorities equally, the cost of these extensions need to be the subject of discussions with operators."

Richmondshire's head of accountancy, David Chefneux, said: "We could just offer free travel within the boundaries of Richmondshire, or we could join a larger North Yorkshire scheme.

"But all the other authorities in North Yorkshire would have to agree to that for it to work."

He said Richmondshire was already doing more than its fair share to provide cheap travel.

"We offer concessionary taxi fares for people who are not covered by bus routes at the moment, so we are already exceeding the minimum requirements."