The Scotland-wide Concessionary Travel Scheme for Young People started on Monday 8 January 2007. It allows all Midlothian 16-18 year olds and full-time volunteers up to their 26th birthday to enjoy discounted travel on buses and trains. [Ferries are included for islanders but are not included for Midlothian residents].
You become eligible on your 16th birthday and fall outside the scheme on reaching your 19th birthday.
Full-time volunteers [30+ hours per week] who meet the criteria for Project Scotland become eligible on your 19th birthday and fall outside the scheme on reaching on your 26th birthday.
You must be resident in Scotland.
Application forms are available at all Midlothian libraries [including the Mobile library] and at the following Midlothian schools - Beeslack High, Dalkeith High, Lasswade High, Newbattle High, Penicuik High, Saltersgate and St David's RC High. Check with your school office.
You can also ask for an application form to be posted to your home address - phone 0808 801 0338 or e-mail yp@transportscotland.gsi.gov.uk
Completed forms can be taken either to your school office or to any Midlothian library. You will need to provide a colour passport-style photograph taken within the past 12 months, and you must present your own form yourself so that the person receiving your form can verify that the photograph you are providing is a likeness of you. Your form will be rejected if someone else tries to hand it in on your behalf.
You will also need to produce documentary evidence of your age along with proof of current residency in Scotland. Full details of what is acceptable documentary evidence is given on the application form.
Your form will be validated at the library or school office. It will be sent off for processing at the appointed agency in England. Your pack will be sent by post direct to your home address a few days after.
This pack will contain three items.
Firstly, a National Entitlement Card [NEC] containing an electronic chip that will have a saltire design on the front and a special Midlothian design on the rear. The front will bear your photo, your date of birth and the expiry date of the card, a Young Scot logo and the PASS logo [that shows that the card can be accepted as proof of age]. The Young Scot logo will also give you access to discounts at various retail outlets. This is the entitlement card that has been designed to take on various additional roles such as a library card or a leisure services card. Neither of these apply at the moment in Midlothian, but the entitlement card is set for expansion into these areas in the future.
Secondly, a Bus Concession Pass with a blue/lime/lemon starburst design on the front. This pass will also bear your photo, your date of birth and expiry date of the pass. This is the pass that you will need to show to bus drivers when claiming your discounted fare [one-third off adult single fare, rounded to nearest 5p below]. For example, where there is an adult fare of £1.20, the discounted fare is 80p. Most local bus and long-distance coach services in Scotland are part of the scheme, including services to Carlisle and Berwick-upon-Tweed [although not for local travel within Carlisle or Berwick-upon-Tweed]. For long-distance journeys you may wish to pay a booking fee to guarantee your seat - there is no discount off any booking fee.
Over the coming months all buses in Scotland are being fitted with new electronic ticket machines. Your NEC [saltire design] will act as an electronic card that will allow your journey to be accurately recorded by the bus driver. If a bus has a new ticket machine, the driver will show you what to do with your NEC once you are on the bus. Eventually, as all buses throughout the whole of Scotland are upgraded to the new ticket machines, the starburst bus pass will no longer be required, but until then, you are advised to keep both cards with you when travelling.
Your third item will be a voucher that can be exchanged for a Scottish Youth Railcard [SYR] at a railway station with a manned ticket office such as at Edinburgh Waverley. You will need to take along your NEC when obtaining your SYR, and you will need to keep your NEC with you whenever using the SYR. The SYR will give different discounts on various rail products, generally one-third off most fares. From 1 January 2009, the discount on train season tickets has been increased to 50%. This means that any young people who use trains on a regular basis can benefit from a 50% saving on their season ticket and are not subject to any peak time restrictions.
Cashless Catering at Midlothian Schools
Midlothian Schools are switching over from an earlier local scheme to a new scheme based on the new NECs. This is being achieved on a rollilng programme starting with the latest intake into the schools. The conversion to the new scheme will then proceed for the second-years and then third-years etc until all students are included.
These cards can be issued to anyone from 12 years old onwards [although the travel concessions do not apply until the cardholder is 16]. When issued as part of the cashless catering scheme, the cards will be returned directly from the agency in England to the school so that the cards can be further processed to accept cashless catering before being handed out to students.
Lost or stolen items.
National Entitlement Cards and Young Person's Bus Concession Passes - replacements can be ordered at the school office or any Midlothian library. Remember - these cards are produced at an agency in England and will come through the post to your home address a few days later. To avoid such delays, please take good care of your cards and passes and you won't be inconvenienced by having to wait for the replacements to arrive. At the moment there is no charge for a replacement card or pass.
Scottish Youth Railcards - replacements can be obtained at any rail ticket office.
For further information about the Scotland-wide scheme - contact http://www.givememycard.org
To clarify details of how the scheme is working in Midlothian and to make enquiries about the application process in Midlothian, please contact ptu@midlothian.gov.uk or call 0131 561 5445.
