This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Technology to benefit older bus passengers
24/03/2003
Older people will soon have more travel choices using
their new Accord cards thanks to additional investment, it
was announced today.
Deputy Minister for Transport, Enterprise and Lifelong
Learning, Lewis Macdonald was in Aberdeen to see how
£310,000 will be used to install smart card technology on
Stagecoach Bluebird buses. This means that older people can
use their new Accord cards - which allows them free off
peak travel as part of the concessionary fares scheme - on
both the main bus fleets in Aberdeen and the North
East.
Accord cards are being rolled out in April by Aberdeen
City Council to provide citizens with one card that covers
a range of services including library, leisure, and
transport facilities. Initially two groups - older people
and secondary school pupils will receive them. The Accord
card scheme was developed using funds from the Scottish
Executive's Modernising Government project.
The Minister said:
"Joint working between the Executive, Aberdeen City
Council and the bus companies - First Aberdeen and
Stagecoach Bluebird - is bringing real results for the
people of Aberdeen.
"This state of the art technology means that it is
easier for older people to benefit from free off peak local
bus travel. They need only one Accord card to travel
throughout the city.
"Older people will soon be able to use the same card for
bus travel, borrowing library books and accessing leisure
centres This is an excellent example of how technology can
improve and simplify the delivery of services. I look
forward to the day when everyone in Aberdeen is able to use
the Accord card."
The funding for the new technology on the Stagecoach
buses comes from the Scottish Executive's Integrated
Transport Fund and means that all Stagecoach services north
of Perth will have the technology in place to handle smart
cards. The Scottish Executive is working with local
authorities on the development of a single smart card model
for Scotland.
First Aberdeen will have Accord card readers on all
their buses by the end of March 2003.
For details of the Accord Card scheme contact Ray Gibson
at Aberdeen City Council on 01224 522821.
From Monday 30 September 2002, under the Scottish
Executive funded enhanced concessionary fares arrangements
all elderly and disabled concessionary card holders are
entitled, as a minimum, to free local bus travel within
existing concessionary boundaries, after 9.30am Monday to
Friday and all day at weekends. A number of schemes provide
more than this national minimum. From 1 April men aged
60-64 will also be eligible for free local bus travel due
to age equalisation.