MANY people understand the frustration of not being able to use a ticket from one bus on another operator’s services.

I do understand this, and so I welcome the proposal to introduce joint ticketing in the response by Stagecoach and the Oxford Bus Company to Oxfordshire County Council’s Transform Oxford plans.

I also welcome the apparent conversion of the cabinet member for transport to joint ticketing.

He even seems now to believe there is such urgency he wants it done more quickly than is humanly possible for the bus companies.

The leader of the council has also called for bus companies to implement joint ticketing.

What a pity they didn’t understand the importance of it until now.

Unfortunately, the Conservatives haven’t always been so supportive of such improvements to our public transport.

In fact, I remember that little more than a year ago, they rushed over themselves to reject the suggestion of multi-ticketing when I and the Liberal Democrats proposed it.

While I’m not going to complain about Tories taking up Lib Dem ideas, you must wonder how long their new-found interest will last.

Some of us are interested in public transport throughout the year, not just at election time.

CLLR ZOE PATRICK, Leader of the Opposition, County Hall, Oxford