COVID-19 8th April: 'No Change Given' temporarily introduced on Shetland's buses
Shetland's bus network to introduce temporary 'No Change Given' policy
During the current coronavirus pandemic, a policy of ‘no change given’ on local buses will be introduced from Sunday 12th April.
Passengers can still pay by cash but should have the correct change for their fare, or expect no change in return. Contactless bank cards, which have no minimum spend, are the preferred means of payment for bus fares, as they reduce the need for bus drivers to handle cash.
A ‘Local Bus Service’ contactless card is also available to purchase on board the buses. This can be topped up on local buses using exact cash or a contactless bankcard which can then be used as payment for fares until the balance runs out. The minimum top up is £5.00 and passengers using a Local Bus Service card receive 20% off the full fare on every journey.
The policy of ‘no change given’ will be in place until further notice, and reviewed when movement restrictions are relaxed.
Michael Craigie, Executive Manager – Transport Planning and Lead officer for ZetTrans, commented “Local bus drivers do not have immediate access to hand washing facilities after taking each fare and to address some of their concerns, we have introduced this ‘no change given’ policy. We’d encourage passengers to use one of the contactless options available, or exact change only, to pay the bus fare for any essential travel.”