A new electronic ticket system for buses in the Western Isles will be introduced to main buses from Monday the 15th of February 2010.
Under a new Government scheme, the changes will affect buses on the Point, Stornoway, Back, Tolsta, North Lochs, Ness, Westside as well as the Harris spinal route.
But up-
The new electronic ticket machines allows information to be tracked such as how many passengers were carried on each journey, how many were pensioners, where they got on and got off, and how many times a week a service was used.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is urging regular bus passengers who have National Entitlement Cards, also known as concessionary travel cards or bus passes, to make sure that their cards are valid. If not, a replacement card should be ordered immediately by contacting the Comhairle.
The cards will be required to be placed on top of the ticket machine as you enter the bus to register the journey, and the machine will also check that the card is valid.
In the event that a card is invalid passengers will be offered the choice of payment of the fare or exchanging the invalid card for a temporary 7 day pass.
Young people between 16 and 18 in possession of a Young Scot card will be able to use these ticket machines when the card is presented to the bus driver and they will be entitled to receive a one third discount on the cost of an adult single fare.
Further information on obtaining the Young Scot card can be found at www.cne-
The next phase will roll the scheme out to Uist and Barra where smaller hand held ticket machines will be used and also to other remaining local services in Lewis and Harris. This stage is expected to be in operation by April 2010.
New bus ticket machines require up-