THE Arriva 541 service and the H1 Imperial bus service now have inter-available tickets. If you buy a return on the 541 you can use it to come back on the H1, and vice versa, and this has been in operation since early this year. However, on each occasion on which I have presented my 541 ticket on the H1, the driver has refused to accept it. When I tell them about the inter-availability of tickets I'm rudely and wrongly accused of trying to get away with not paying, and to get of the bus, which of course I refuse to do, as I am within my rights. The most recent occasion on which this happened to me was Friday, August 8. Having travelled to Loughton on the 541 and back to Epping on the H1, and after the driver telling me that he would not accept my return ticket as proof of payment, I attempted to show him a timetable, which carries this information, but he refused to look at it, despite the bus being stationary at that moment. Another lady on the bus backed me up, but he refused to listen to her also. Several other people I know have had the same experience. However, it never happens in reverse as the 541 drivers are aware of the procedure. Both these services are funded by Essex County Council, who, along with Imperial Bus Company, need to ensure that their drivers are informed of any changes to their system.

Barbara Levine, Stewards Green Road, Epping.