OVER-75s and people with more severe disabilities are set to benefit from an increase in tokens for travelling on buses, taxis and trains.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council leaders have agreed the changes after a review of its £1.8million travel concessions scheme.

All residents over the age of 60 and those with disabilities are given the choice of travel tokens to use on a range of public transport, or a free bus pass that can be used across Hampshire.

The council currently gives a base amount of £53 in tokens, and an additional amount of £17 to people with certain disabilities and over-60s on benefits.

The Cabinet has now agreed that, next year, the base amount will remain the same, but the supplementary amount of tokens will rise to £19 and also be issued to all residents over 75.

Councillor Horace Mitchell, the Cabinet's transport chief, said: "We are well aware that, for quite a lot of recipients, the travel tokens are just a nice bonus.

"In order to improve the targeting of the scheme, what I am proposing is to increase the supplement by £2 and to extend the target scheme to include all residents who are 75 or over because, as you get older, you are less likely to drive your own car and are more dependent on public transport."

"Personally, I do not think any of this is entirely the right answer. A full review of the scheme will eventually take place."