Metro is reminding passengers that they can swipe their English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passes on more and more local buses as the operators switch on their card readers.

Drivers have been advised by the bus companies that any passengers whose valid pass will not scan, due to a problem with the chips in individual passes or the readers themselves, can continue using their passes by showing them to the driver as before.

Passengers with cards that the machines will not read need to go to a Bus Station Travel Centre where they can be checked. Faulty cards will be replaced but cardholders that have damaged their cards and made them unreadable will be charged £5 for a replacement.

Find your local Bus Station Travel Centre.

At the moment it is just Senior, Disabled and Blind concessionary pass-holders who can swipe on to local bus services but over the coming year Metro will be opening the scheme up to all bus users.

Establishing a retail network where people can obtain and top up their card, equipping more vehicles and completing the development of the back-office technology are the next steps to extending smartcard travel to all bus users and eventually rail passengers as well.

 
People can now apply for a Senior, Blind and Disabled Passes online through this website.