THERE was good news for Vale bus passengers this week as plans for free travel for concessionary users moved even closer.

At the meeting of the Wychavon District Council executive board, Councillor Audrey Steel introduced a joint report of the head of planning and the democratic services officer on concessionary fares.

Cllr Steel advised the council on the options available to them regarding the scheme, reminding them that all councils in England are required to implement a full fare bus pass scheme by April 1, 2006.

The members of the board had three different options to consider. These dealt with how to run the scheme and how much it would cost.

They decided to extend the existing half fare scheme to allow for a full fare bus pass, allowing for free travel across the county and into neighbouring counties.

The estimated take-up is 70 per cent to 75 per cent and the scheme will cost around £600,000.

But the idea is not certain to come to fruition yet, as funding from the government is needed.

Democratic services officer Louise Bennett said: "The amount of government funding we get is key to how much we are able to enhance the scheme."

The board also backed the introduction of Smartcards, which would cost £80,000 to implement as well as an annual charge of around £30,000. The cards which look like a credit card would be issued to all those who qualify for concessionary fares.

Louise added: "The Smartcards are very sophisticated as the chip built into them logs where the person has travelled and what routes they are allowed to take."