People who are eligible for free national bus travel next year should now have received a pass renewal letter – if you have not please visit any Travel South Yorkshire Information Centre.
Nearly 250,000 renewal letters have been sent out to people across South Yorkshire inviting them to apply for a new pass, however, if you have not received yours don’t worry it’s not too late. Just pop down to your nearest Travel South Yorkshire Information Centre with some proof of your age and address, and a recent passport size photograph.
From April 1 2008 the new National Concessions Scheme will entitle pass holders to free off-peak travel on buses anywhere in England. However, in order to claim this concession, travellers must obtain a new pass as their existing pass will only be valid in South Yorkshire and September 2008.
To be eligible for a new pass customers must live in South Yorkshire and be 60 years old and over or be disabled and entitled to a Mobility Pass. The new passes will then be posted to home addresses during March 2008, in time for the new concession to start in April.
Roy Wicks, Director General of SYPTE said: “The introduction of free travel across England for senior citizen and mobility pass holders is a great idea as it gives passengers the freedom to use their passes on buses wherever they are. We are urging people not to miss out on this opportunity and if they have not received their letter all they have to do is visit their nearest Travel South Yorkshire Information Centre where our Customer Services Officers will be happy to help.”
The new pass will be a plastic photo card and quite different in appearance to the existing paper product. It will provide free travel on local buses throughout England from 0930 Monday to Friday; and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, in addition to the existing South Yorkshire scheme.
SYPTE has launched a county-wide marketing campaign to make everyone who currently has a South Yorkshire Senior Citizen Pass and Mobility Pass aware of the changes.
If you would like more information about the National Concession Pass call Traveline on 01709 51 51 51, visit www.travelsouthyorkshire.com or pop into any Travel South Yorkshire Information Centre, where staff are happy to help.