SIR – Unlike Mr Murgatroyd (T&A, February 25), I do not see 65p train fares as an extra tax.

As a retired person I know that my free prescriptions, free bus fares and cheap train fares are paid for by people’s taxes.

I know many pensioners are hard-up, but we cannot just keep piling taxes on to families with young children and high mortgages.

We have good rail services in West Yorkshire, and most journeys are worth very much more than 65p.

Anyone over 60 who does not like the price of local trains can go free on the bus!

I have a senior rail card and this makes normal train fares affordable.

Retired people might think we paid for everything through our taxes during our working lives, but in fact we paid for earlier generations of pensioners who did not live as long.

Now working people are paying for present-day pensioners who are living longer and are more numerous. We should not push taxpayers too hard – they might all emigrate!

Ray Wilkes, Tower Road, Bradford