Bus passengers throughout Herefordshire who travel under the Herefordshire Council concessionary bus travel scheme are being asked to check that they have an up-to-date pass.
In April, 2008, local bus passes were replaced with the new English National Concessionary Bus Pass that allows holders free off-peak bus travel throughout England as well as local travel in Herefordshire at all times of day.
More than 25,000 local people, aged 60 or over or with a disability, are already using the new passes, but Herefordshire Council's public transport manager, Jim Davies, feels that there are still some who are yet to apply.
He said: "Old Style Herefordshire passes and temporary English National passes can only be used until the end of September. Because the new English National bus pass is an electronic smartcard it has to be ordered separately for each applicant and this can take some time. I would therefore urge anyone who is still using an old-style pass to apply for a replacement as soon as possible", said Jim.
The old passes can be recognised by the fact that they are in laminated paper form with the holders name handwritten: they were originally supplied in a green plastic wallet.
As these they were issued before the new national scheme was announced many of them carry an expiry date several years into the future but, despite this, they cannot be used for travel after September.
English national bus passes are available to anyone over the age of 60 and to many disabled people. Applications can be made at any of Herefordshire Council's Info Centres at Bromyard, Hereford (Garrick House), Kington, Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye. More information on the scheme is available from the council on 01432 260500.