DISABILITY support groups today claimed a decision to scrap discount bus fare schemes for disabled people has made people prisoners in their own homes.

Organisations including the Blackburn and District Society for the Blind claim some people -- particularly the partially-sighted -- are now too afraid to travel on buses because of the stress caused by uncertainty over the increased charges.

Certain groups -- including the blind, deaf and severely disabled -- had previously been allowed to travel anywhere on buses for 30p per journey under schemes financed by Lancashire County and Blackburn with Darwen councils.

But under a new Government directive, people who qualify for disability allowances now get half-price concessions instead.

Disabled groups like epileptics who did not previously qualify for any discount will benefit.

But the councils have now frozen membership of the 30p schemes, although people already on them will continue to qualify.

Local authorities in Birmingham and London are also making cutbacks, although many are still trying to extend their free or flat-rate fares to include everyone.

Councils in Sheffield and Manchester have set aside cash to maintain their existing concession schemes. Mike Mulcahy, of Blackburn and District Society for the Blind, said: "It effectively creates a two-tier system which is grossly unfair.

"Blind people are already very nervous about catching public transport. The fact they could sort out what change they needed made things easier.

"They will rather stay at home than risk the fuss caused on the bus."

Ernie Millward, 59, of Blackburn, has been blind since he was 15. He still qualifies for the 30p scheme but his daughter, Christine, 19, doesn't because she was only registered blind recently.

Ernie said: "It causes a lot of fuss because my daughter does not know the fare until she is on the bus. Then you often need the exact change. The whole new system is unfair."

Around 4,000 people in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley are registered disabled.

Peter Taylor, director of the Galloway's Society for the Blind, based in Penwortham, said: "The idea of the Transport Act 2000 was there would be a minimum standard of a half-fare concession for all disabilities, but Lancashire have used it to make cuts where they can."

A petition is being organised and the issue was raised in Parliament on Monday by Essex MP Eric Pickles, who highlighted Lancashire County Council's new policy after researching the issue following a decision by his local council to adopt a similar change.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who has been contacted by the RNIB and the Galloway Trust, said: "It's a miserable act which hits directly some of the most vulnerable people in our community."

Coun Chris Cheetham, executive member for social services at Lancashire County Council, said the effects of the Transport Act 2000 had caused the problems. He could not be precise about the extra it would have cost to spread the 30p scheme to cover all disabilities but said it will cost around £300,000 a year to continue running it for those who already qualified.

"There is no way we could have paid the extra for all the newly-qualified disabled people to travel for 30p."

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council confirmed government legislation had led to the change but nobody was available to comment further.