Elderly and many disabled people in Tyne and Wear who are entitled to a free bus pass now have their smartcard renewed automatically – so long as it has been used at least once in the last year.
Nexus is due to send out almost 56,000 new cards to local residents whose current cards expire on 31 March 2023. These are mostly people who have held a bus pass since at least 2008 and will now be aged 75 or more or have a permanent disability.
These cards will be mailed out automatically from the 1st of February to the address Nexus has on file.
Residents of Tyne and Wear expecting a new smartcard only need to contact Nexus if they have moved in the last five years, or would like a new card despite not using their current one in the previous 12 months.
If someone does need to contact Nexus they – or a friends or relative – should visit www.nexus.org.uk/ticket-information/concessions and complete the form to confirm they wish to renew the pass or to register a new address.
In total around 210,000 people aged over the state pension age or eligible through disability in Tyne and Wear hold an English National Concessionary Travel Scheme smart card issued by Nexus.
The Government requires that cards are replaced at least every five years, and in the case of some disabilities more frequently, with the holder needing to confirm eligibility.
Normally Nexus issues a few hundred cards a month, but in March 2023 all those people aged over 60 in 2008, when smartcards were first introduced, receive a new card at the same time.