Passholders need to ‘tap on’ to keep free tram travel

MISUSE of older or disabled people's tram passes is costing the Nottingham network operator an estimated £300,000 per year, its boss says.

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Older people or those with a disability can get a concessionary pass, issued by Nottingham City Council or Nottinghamshire County Council, which allows free travel at certain times. Passes must be tapped on a machine that validates travel before boarding.

But it is estimated that 10% to 15% of pass holders fail to tap their card, meaning the operator loses money from the subsidised travel.

The issue was raised on Tuesday, when Councillor Andy Brown (Con) said: “I'm just curious to know how much revenue is estimated to be lost with the non-validation of concessionary passes?”

Tramlink chief executive Tim Hesketh said: It is impossible to say for certain. We think that probably around 10% to 15% of concessionary pass holders don't tap on.

“That's a lot of money.