Special card for those feeling unconfident about public transport

04/10/2007

An extremely useful and innovative Travel card used in Scotland has just celebrated its fifth birthday. Called the Thistle Travel Card, it makes it easier for travellers who are less confident - for example, due to age, infirmity, illness, disability - to use buses, trains or taxis. When the card is shown to transport staff they will recognise that the card holder may need extra help during the journey - and extra information to help the traveller can be kept in a clear plastic pouch on the back of the card such as destination, or an emergency phone number.

Thistle Travel Cards are available free of charge from all public libraries in Midlothian, including the mobile library, and have been a real benefit to hundred of residents. Bob Thomson, 74, has been using the Thistle Card for the last few months and believes that the scheme could be rolled out across the whole of Scotland to help more people. He said: "I use buses all the time to get around locally and into Edinburgh, and also use the train occasionally. As I am partially sighted and have hearing difficulties, travelling is a bit more difficult for me and the Thistle Travel Card was recommended to me by a bus company after I experienced problems on a journey.

"It's important that the drivers are trained to recognise the Thistle Card and they can offer assistance like giving you more time to sit down before they move off. Not enough people know about this card and what help it can provide."

Midlothian Council Cabinet member for Commercial Services Councillor Wilma Chalmers said: "Assistance by public transport staff for those with a Thistle Card can be wide-ranging: helping the passenger to count out their fare, checking that they are on the correct bus for the journey they wish to take, telling them when they have arrived at their destination, or many other ways that can help someone's journey go smoothly. The cards can be picked up from public libraries across Midlothian and can be used straight away - there are no forms to fill in or registration required."

The scheme runs with the support of many voluntary organisations who represent people with learning and/ or physical disabilities: Carers Scotland, Alzheimer Scotland, Action on Dementia, Down's Syndrome Scotland, Fair Deal for 1 - 100, Key Housing Association, The National Autistic Society and Enable.

So the question posed by the Mature Times is this: with the planned introduction of free concessionary bus passes throughout the UK in April 2008, why not incorporate a Thistle card into the scheme right from the word go? Many users will have some form of disability, and alerting public transport operators to potential problems could be extremely valuable to all concerned.