A TICKET to ride is to be given to all York residents aged 60 and over who will be entitled to receive free bus travel throughout York and North Yorkshire.

From March 27, those who are eligible can choose either to receive a free bus pass, £40 worth of national transport tokens or £40 of parking permit vouchers.

The offer is also available to people under the age of 60 years with certain disabilities.

The free bus travel concession applies to all York and North Yorkshire bus services, including Park&Ride, while the £40 worth of transport tokens can be used locally on buses, trains, taxis and community transport services.

The £40 parking permit vouchers can be put towards the cost of a standard parking permit, reducing the total cost by almost half.

It can also be used as part payment for Respark.

Residents who are eligible for these concessions and already in receipt of a bus pass do not need to take any action.

Their existing bus pass will entitle them to free travel automatically from April 1. Anyone applying for a pass for the first time, or whose existing pass has expired (or is about to expire), can call at the Guildhall at one of a series of issuing sessions taking place between March 27 and April 21.

Bus passes, transport tokens and parking permit vouchers can be obtained at these events.

Anyone intending to apply should take along proof of their age, such as a passport or birth certificate, and proof of their address, such as a household bill.

Linda Capel, sustainable travel officer, said: "The message is that anyone who already has a bus pass doesn't need to do anything at all.

"From April 1, it will automatically entitle them to travel anywhere in York and North Yorkshire completely free of charge. Those residents making a new application for travel concessions are reminded that they need to go along to the Guildhall on the appropriate date, according to their surname."

Coun Ann Reid, the council's planning chief, said: "Council officers have worked hard to ensure that the free bus passes will be available on time and will offer those who are eligible greater benefits than originally anticipated.

"I am pleased that we are also able to retain the options of tokens or a parking pass."

Travel tokens will also be issued at a series of parish-based sessions, but bus passes and parking permit vouchers will not be available at these events.

For a full list of dates and venues, visit the council's website at www.york.gov.uk or phone 01904 554466.

People with surnames beginning with the following letters, and who don't have a pass, can pick them up on the following dates:

ABC - March 27 to 31

DEFGHI - April 3 to 7

JKLMNOPQ - April 10 to 13

RSTUVWXYZ - April 18 to 21

Updated: 09:36 Saturday, March 18, 2006