19/11/2008 - NoW that's what I call success - bus card scoops major award for innovation

A travel smart card developed by Cumbria County Council, in partnership with three other authorities in the North West, has scooped a top national award for innovation.

The NoWcard scheme took first prize in the Innovation category at the UK Bus Awards yesterday (November 18), beating off competition from five other short-listed nominations at the glittering awards ceremony in London.

Set up by Cumbria and Lancashire county councils in conjunction with Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool councils, the smart card scheme is for concessionary passengers who are aged over 60 or disabled.

It is the first major smart card scheme to pick up a gong at the UK Bus Awards – Britain’s premier public transport awards scheme.

Councillor Alan Clark, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member responsible for transport, said: “Winning the award is a fantastic achievement for Cumbria County Council, its partners and all the staff who have worked on developing the card. I’m delighted such a successful scheme has been recognised in this way.

“The standard of entries in the Innovation category was very high as well, so it shows the judges must have been highly impressed by NoWcard.”

The NoWcard scheme, which was launched in 2003, provides a simple way for entitled people in Cumbria and Lancashire to get their free concession, and around 75,000 of the 300,000 NoWcards have been issued to Cumbrian residents. 

When first launched it was designed as a smart bus pass, but the early NoWcards have now been re-issued as English National Concession Travel Passes.  NoWcard is also the first major scheme to meet the new national standard.

Within each card is a small microchip that can be read by smart ticket machines on local bus services, allowing the bus service operator and the local authority to account accurately for concessionary fares.

NoWcards can already be read electronically on 1,400 buses in the North West – 350 of which are in Cumbria. The NoWcard partnership funded much of the cost of this system, including contributions towards the fitting of the smart ticket machines.

More than 160 nominations were made in the UK Bus Awards 19 categories covering a wide range of disciplines, from innovation and marketing, to customer service.

Notes

For more information on NoWcards visit http://www.nowcard.org/

ENDS

Media enquiries to media officer John Ballard on 01228 226330.