BUS passengers who hold concessionary passes are being urged to learn three simple steps to ensure a smooth start to their journeys from the end of the month.

The Oxford Bus Company is fitting new ticket machines to the buses used on its city and county routes, which are equipped with a ‘touch-and-go’ system to register journeys made using the free travel passes issued to the over-60s and disabled people.

The three steps to use the new system are: 1. Place the pass on the area marked ‘Touch Your Card Here’ on the machine 2. Wait for the pass to be read by the machine 3. When the green light shows on the machine, take the pass and move down the bus to find a seat.

Passengers will no longer need to show their pass to the driver unless asked to do so and will not need to be issued with a ticket for their journey, as the information from the pass is recorded electronically by an onboard computer.

Louisa Weeks, the company’s operations director, said: “The new machines are part of the improvements we’re making to develop bus services in the area.

“It promises to be a much easier system for everyone involved and I’m sure all passengers will soon get use to the change.

“The ticket passholders currently receive is merely a ‘permit to travel’ and not a record of the actual journey made.”

The new ticket machines will come into use on Sunday, October 31.

A free leaflet explaining the ‘touch-and-go’ system for concessionary passes is available on board the company’s buses.