Guest Article from “Transport for Wales”
Transport for Wales is reaching out to cardholders who haven’t applied for their new bus pass yet and highlighting the importance of applying for a new card as soon as possible to continue to enjoy the benefits of concessionary travel.
WATCH a clip of bus passengers talk about how the application process was for them:
The old green coloured bus passes stopped being recognised on the electronic scanners on buses after 31 December 2019. A grace period was agreed with the bus operators to allow cardholders to continue to use the old cards. The grace period is due to come to an end on 29 February 2020, which means that from 1 March 2020 only the new-style cards will be accepted for travel.
James Price, Chief Executive of Transport for Wales, said: “We’ve received close to 600,000 bus pass applications over the past five months, with the hard work still taking place as applications continue to be processed every day to make sure we send out people’s new cards as quickly as possible.
“Whilst it’s very positive to see that the majority of regular bus pass passengers have received their new cards, it’s essential that we remind everyone who has a yet to apply to do so as soon as possible to ensure they’re able to continue to enjoy the benefits of their bus pass after 29 February.
“If anyone is aware of a neighbour, family member or friend who has a bus pass, we’re asking if they can please help by making sure they’ve applied for their replacement pass as soon as possible.
“We’re continuing to work very closely with all local authorities and bus operators to make sure we have a smooth as possible transition in place after the agreed grace period comes to an end. This is essential to make sure we’re supporting the most vulnerable passengers with their travel experiences.”
The Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates, said: “I’d like to thank the more than half a million people across Wales, including friends, family and carers, who’ve acted promptly and applied for new cards.
“Bus operators have generously agreed a two-month grace period which has allowed thousands of cardholders more time to apply for and receive their new cards. This grace period ends on 29 February so it’s really important that people apply for their new-style card as soon as possible.
“Transport for Wales, local authorities and other partners have worked tirelessly over recent months to process the huge volume of new cards, and continue to be availa-ble to provide support if needed.”
The roll-out of the new cards marks a significant milestone for Transport for Wales, as it works towards delivering its vision of creating an exciting and world-class integrated transport network across Wales. The new cards have been designed so that they can be used on multiple modes of transport in the future.
Transport for Wales is encouraging cardholders to apply online if they can via the website www.tfw.wales/travelcards. Online is the quickest way to apply as cardholders may not have to provide a new photo or documentation, as details are checked electronically against government databases. Support with applying online is available from local councils, or cardholders can ask someone they trust to apply on their behalf. Paper applications are also available, but Transport for Wales do stress that this way does take longer to process.
If anyone has any concerns, Transport for Wales are asking people to get in touch straight away by calling the helpline on 0300 303 4240 or emailing the team at travelcards@tfw.wales.
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