Background

The Scottish Government provides National Concessionary Travel Schemes (e.g Young Person’s, Over 60 and Disabled), for which nearly half of Scotland’s population is eligible.

The majority of these schemes are delivered on a smartcard platform, which aligns with the SG vision ‘all public transport journeys…can be made using some form of smart ticketing’ and provides accurate data for reimbursement purposes. These schemes are scrutinized to ensure a quality service to the public, alongside value for public money, and as such we must ensure efficient, transparent and reliable management of these schemes, using smart technology.

Concessionary users entitled to this ferry travel are residents on the Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland. The change to the way ferry vouchers are provided will affect people in Orkney and Shetland initially, with those in the Western Isles being migrated at a later date.

The need for the ferry voucher system to be modernised has been driven by a business requirement to mitigate challenges posed by the isles’ infrastructure (e.g. connectivity; postal access) and to improve the efficiency and integrity of the National Concessionary Travel Schemes.

The modernisation involves transition from ferry vouchers that are posted out in paper form to ferry vouchers made available in a digital form for storage on a smartcard.

The smartcard to be used is the National Entitlement Card that every individual who receives ferry vouchers already has. It is the same card that their bus pass is held on. Cardholders refer to this card in various ways, with the main ones being: bus pass, Saltirecard and Young Scot card.

The challenge in introducing the digital vouchers has been to ensure they remain accessible to, and usable by, everyone who is eligible to receive and use them. Also, that the transition from paper to digital vouchers is underpinned by a framework of information, help and support that meets the needs of all.