News Release Page Title

15 January 2002

DRD MINISTER UNVEILS HI TECH SMARTPASS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

Northern Ireland’s senior citizens will lead the way when they become the first public transport passengers to use smartcards as part of Translink’s new £6.3 million state-of-the-art ticketing system, Regional Development Minister, Peter Robinson, MP MLA, announced today.

Senior citizen’s free travel concession pass will be replaced with the smartcard to be used as part of new ticketing technology to be introduced on 1 May. The Minister was given a preview at Europa Bus Centre of how the Senior Smartpass will work with the new ticket machines on board buses.

Mr Robinson said: "Senior citizens will be the first passengers to use this exciting new technology. Over the course of the next week, all those over the age of 65, who are entitled to the old age pension, will be receiving through the post an application form inviting them to apply for the new Senior Smartpass.

"The Senior Smartpass will help to build on the success already enjoyed by the senior citizens’ free travel scheme which has already seen the number of public transport journeys by pensioners rise by around one-third."

The Minister said that his Department will be funding the costs of the Senior Smartpass, which will be provided by Translink free of charge.

He said: "We have tried to make the changeover from the old concession pass as simple as possible for older people. The application form, which is being posted out, has all the pensioner’s details printed on it.

"All the person has to do is check that these details are correct, sign the form and take it, along with a passport-sized photograph and their pension book to their local Translink bus or rail station."

Over the summer, other passengers will begin to see new types of smartcard tickets emerging. The current four journey ticket on Citybus will be one of the first to be replaced by a multi-journey smartcard that passengers will be able to re-charge at special pay machines and which will give a discount on fares.

Translink will be issuing more information about the new smartcard products as each stage of the ticketing project is rolled out.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. The new ticketing system being installed by Translink is costing £6.3 million and is being grant-aided by the Department for Regional Development. The main contractors for the project are Wayfarer Transit Systems Ltd.

  2. The Senior Smartpass which will operate with the new system will come into use from 1 May 2002. From that date, the existing senior citizen’s concession pass will no longer be accepted for free travel.

  3. On behalf of the Department for Regional Development, the Social Security Agency is sending out application forms for the Senior Smartpass to some 220,000 over 65s on its pensions database. Translink will process the applications and issue the new passes in April.

  4. Those residents over 65 who do not receive a form should contact their local Translink bus or rail station, where separate arrangements will be made to make application.

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