A TAXPAYER-supported transport service for OAPs must prepare to stand alone despite being given a cash reprieve by council bosses, an elderly campaigner has said.

Michael Hugh-Jones, secretary of Oxfordshire Pensioners’ Action Group, said Dial-a-Ride should prepare for the worst.

Oxfordshire County Council had proposed pulling cash that would allow OAPs to use bus passes on Dial-a-Ride to save £100,000 a year.

But it then agreed to fund this for another 12 months from April using £4m reserves. The service will then face a review.

Mr Hugh-Jones said churches, parish councils and families were best placed to help pensioners make journeys.

The 82-year-old said: “It will have to be done by volunteers in future. They are only reviving free Dial-a-Ride for 12 months, in 14 months it will be abolished.”

The Headington pensioner, speaking in a personal capacity, added: “I am sure churches and parish councils are the right people to do it.

“They have the local knowledge. No council really knows what’s going on in each village.”

He said volunteers were already helping elderly neighbours in many villages, but admitted it might be harder to galvanise support in urban areas.

But Mr Hugh-Jones added: “Most pensioners have children with cars.”

The council said it gets the worst free transport deal of English shire counties because of high levels of county bus use. But it said this is not matched by Government funding.

The total concessionary travel bill for 2011/12 is £8.7m but the council said it was given £4.3m by the Government.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, who is responsible for the scheme, said the Dial-a-Ride cash would be reviewed in 12 months.

He said of future years: “What we will be doing is looking to make sure Government understands the funding process and hope for a more favourable grant.

“I am pressing for changes made because it is unfair that because we have such a good bus service we are penalised.

“What we want to do is maintain this valuable service for everyone.”

The Octabus Dial-A-Ride service is run on behalf of the county council and Oxford City, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils by coach company Walters.

Users pay a £5 membership charge. Return journeys within Oxford are £3, while users pay £4 return to travel into Oxford from other parts of the county.

But all journeys on Dial-A-Ride are free if people show their concessionary bus pass.