HALF-price bus fare passes are set to be introduced for pensioners and the disabled in York.

Eligible people will be able to travel on local public transport services at half fare after 9am on weekdays and any time at weekends and Bank Holidays.

At the moment, pensioners and the disabled are entitled to help with fares through the National Transport Tokens scheme.

Worries that pensioners would no longer be able to obtain National Transport Tokens have been allayed, as they will be given the option to opt out of the bus pass scheme.

Plans have been made to bring the start date of the scheme forward to May 1 to cover the gap between the end of the City of York Council's current bus card scheme, on April 30, and the official government start date for the new scheme of June 1.

The city council plans to write to the 5,500 holders of the current bus pass scheme, inviting them to confirm their need for a new scheme pass.

Applications for the new pass by members of the public who do not hold a bus pass must be made by post, and it is planned that by 2002 only customers requiring tokens will attend issuing sessions.

An extensive publicity campaign will start in mid-February and will focus on the choice of concessions available. Coun Dave Merrett, executive member for transport, said: "We have had representations from local pensioners in terms of being able to have a choice of having tokens or passes.

"I think this is right in terms of protecting pensioners' choice. A lot of tokens are used by pensioners for taxi services, if they have got bags of shopping to take home. The ability to use tokens needs to be taken into account."

Updated: 10:31 Saturday, February 03, 2001