THE news that Northumberland County Council are looking into declining satisfaction for bus passengers in the county caused quite a debate among Hexham Courant readers.

Council bosses wanted to find out if rising fares are at the root of the issue - here's what readers said.

Roger Higgins said: "Both bus and train fares are unacceptably high - train fairs criminally so. People are priced INTO cars when we should be doing the opposite."

Abby Wintersgill also felt the pricing system made no sense.

She said: "School children should have free travel to school.

"However, giving free travel to people as soon as they are 65, despite many of them still working, will lose them money also. Their ticket prices make no sense.

"Also, maybe if the buses met the trains , especially in Prudhoe, then commuters will use the bus instead of a taxi."

Fares were also an issue for Andrea Ferrol

She said: "Could it be due to the fact that the cost of fares are ridiculous? It the same price for a return from Bardon Mill to Hexham as a return to Newcastle! How did they work that one out?"

But Brian Robe suggested a different reason.

He said: "Possibly due to advice not to use public transport due to Covid 19."

The original story can be read here.