BLACKBURN with Darwen Council has warned parents and pupils that school buses will now be cashless payments only because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The two options available are season tickets and pre-paid travel vouchers.

The former are advised for those children who travel regularly on school transport and can be bought for a term or for the whole school year.

They offer a 10 per cent discount on normal fares.

Pre-paid travel vouchers are recommended for those children who travel when necessary.

A council spokesman said: “Travel vouchers have now replaced cash on all school buses. One voucher will be used per journey, so a journey to school and a journey home will be two vouchers. There is no discount on this type of voucher.

“We encourage parents and carers to get in touch with the school transport team at their earliest convenience, preferably before Wednesday, August 19. We will be sharing ‘Safe Travel Guidance’ for our school buses.”