Bus drivers have pledged to use their own cars to give the elderly lifts and take hospital staff to work if a one-day bus strike goes ahead tomorrow.

More than 50 drivers from the Bradford First bus company have volunteered to use their vehicles to take nurses, as well as members of the public with appointments or visits to make, to the city's hospitals. And they have promised to give priority to pensioners.

The gesture comes as 400 Transport and General Workers' Union members vote on whether to accept a deal on pay and conditions from bus company First Bradford or to strike tomorrow. Balloting was due to finish tonight.

The TGWU's Bradford branch secretary Mohammed Taj said the free lift initiative was the union's idea and 200,000 leaflets with a helpline number would be distributed on buses tonight if industrial action happened.

Mr Taj said he expected about a hundred drivers to offer their services. He said drivers wouldn't be accepting money for petrol or fares and the union had made sure people travelling would be covered by insurance.

A Bradford NHS spokesman said this was the first time he'd heard of such an initiative.

He said: "We would emphasise how important it is in our on-going efforts to reduce waiting times that patients make every effort to meet their hospital appointments and that the hospitals themselves are appropriately staffed."

Bradford Age Concern's policy officer Sam Sykes said: "This gesture would help folk who are frail and vulnerable and would be physically affected by a strike."

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