New smartcard-style free travel passes on the way for older and disabled passengers

Date published: 14 September 2007

Transport bosses have announced plans to issue over 400,000 smartcard-style free travel passes to older and disabled people throughout Greater Manchester.

A meeting today, Friday 14 September, of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority welcomed the government initiative that will allow over 60s and disabled people to travel for free on buses throughout England from next April.

Plans are now underway to issue the new passes with the minimum of inconvenience. In the coming weeks over 400,000 local residents – whether they have a travel pass already or not – will receive a letter asking them to confirm their details and provide passport style photos for their new pass.

From April next year, the smartcard passes will replace the existing free travel passes. They will continue to entitle Greater Manchester pass holders to free travel on the county’s tram and train network after 9.30am, and concessions before then.

Councillor Roger Jones, Chairman of the Authority said: "I’m pleased to see plans are well advanced to get Greater Manchester ready for this major national scheme – and with very little inconvenience to passengers. If you think you may be eligible for a pass you don’t need to do anything yet – we’ll be writing to you soon.

"We are proud to have one of the most generous free travel schemes in the country in Greater Manchester, and it’s great news that the government is extending free off-peak bus travel across the whole of England.

"These new passes will also lay an important foundation for the more widespread use of smartcards in Greater Manchester. This is a long-held aspiration of ours and over the coming year we will continue to work towards it with the various transport operators."

Transport bosses are committed to ensuring everyone in the Greater Manchester area entitled to the new national travel pass will be able to get one in plenty of time for next April.

As well as writing to over 400,000 eligible people, a publicity campaign is planned to raise awareness of the new scheme in time for eligible people to apply for the new national travel pass, which will be issued in March 2008.

As well as free off-peak travel on buses throughout England, eligible Greater Manchester residents will continue to be entitled to free local travel on trains and trams between 9.30am and midnight, Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and on bank holidays. The existing concessionary fare arrangements will remain in place before 9.30am.