Savings on the Council’s insurance bill has left the authority with £200,000 a year to spend on top of its annual budget.
The savings have been achieved by effective financial management, including risk management policies and retendering insurance cover.
It will be recommended to the Cabinet on July 8 that the extra money is used to extend the pensioners’ concessionary fare scheme so anyone over the age of 60, or eligible disabled, can travel on the buses for free at any time.
If the Cabinet agree, the changes should come into affect on Monday July 21.
John Williams, Leader of the Council, said: “The Council’s good financial management has given us this windfall which I will be recommending is used to extend the concessionary fare scheme.
“We had to make some tough choices in the last budget and were unable to fund the scheme for travel before 9.30am which I know was unpopular with the over 60s.
”We have listened to their concerns and as soon as this money became available it was obvious to me what it should be spent on.”
At the same meeting, the Cabinet will consider a report on the future of the post offices earmarked for closure in the Borough.
If the Council was to subsidise the threatened post offices, it would cost approximately £120,000 per year, not including the Hopetown branch, which will definitely close.
Councillor Williams said: “We are extremely disappointed that the Post Office is closing branches in Darlington and even more disappointed at the level of funding they are asking to keep them open. We cannot impose this level of subsidy on Darlington Council taxpayers.
I will strongly recommend to my colleagues that we do not subsidise the Post Office. Our clear priority has to be improving our concessionary fare scheme by using this windfall”.