Holders of Herefordshire Council's concessionary bus passes for the over 60s and disabled people are being invited to apply for a new-style bus pass that will allow free bus travel over a much wider area.
From April 1, 2008 the council's bus pass scheme will be linked with similar schemes to allow passholders to travel on local buses throughout England.
Outside Herefordshire, the passes will be valid at "off-peak" times and so will not be usable before 9.30am or after 11pm on Mondays to Fridays, but free travel will continue to be available at all times within Herefordshire and on cross-boundary journeys to and from all neighbouring counties.
To enable the scheme to work smoothly, new bus passes will be issued to a standard national design that can be recognised by bus drivers anywhere in the country.
The new passes will be "smartcards" and will be capable of being read automatically by bus ticket machines in those parts of England where the technology has been installed. This will ensure that the passes are recognised and will guarantee that passholders receive the concessions to which they are entitled.
Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation said: "The new-style bus passes will allow passholders to travel much more widely and will particularly benefit people who will now be able to use their passes when visiting friends and relatives or while on holiday in other parts of England.
"Similarly, Herefordshire will now become a more attractive destination for visitors from other parts of the country who will be able to use their own area's bus passes to benefit from free travel when visiting the county," he added.
Existing "Herefordshire Council" concessionary bus passes will be phased out once the new passes are in use and passholders are being invited to apply for the new National Passes as soon as possible.
People who already have a Herefordshire concessionary bus pass should obtain an application form from one of the council's Info Shops at Bromyard, Kington, Ledbury, Leominster, Hereford or Ross-on-Wye.
Applications can also be made online via the council's website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk
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