Offering young people discounted travel on buses and
trains.
Launched on 5 February 2005, the Explore Card from Suffolk
County Council offers discounted travel on buses and trains.
Eligibility
All young people aged 5-19 (inclusive) who live in Suffolk will
be eligible to receive the card, including:
- students at USAF schools in Suffolk;
- students who board at a school in Suffolk;
- students who live in Suffolk to attend one of its colleges;
and
- young people in residential care.
You do not have to be at school or college to get a Explore Card -
you just have to be younger than 20 and live in Suffolk.
Unfortunately if you go to school or college in Suffolk, but
your home address is not in the county, you do not qualify for the
card.
Discounts available
Cardholders will be able to obtain a 50 per cent discount rate
on single and return adult fares on virtually all registered local
bus routes and 50 per cent discount off normal adult off-peak fares
on rail travel within Suffolk.
Other rail discounts are available for travel to selected
destinations outside of the county - please see leaflets or our web
site for details.
In addition, the card will offer discounts at retail outlets;
full details of the discounts available and when they apply can be
found at
explore.suffolkonboard.com.
Over time it is planned that a wide range of benefits will be
made available to cardholders.
Please note: the Explore Card will have no impact on the
provision of school transport by Suffolk County Council and
discounts will not apply to charges applied by the County Council
for discretionary transport.
Marketing campaigns
During the year various marketing campaigns will be undertaken.
These may also include competitions. Details of the campaigns and
any special information will be circulated in advance of the
campaign.
Applying for a Explore Card
The card will be distributed to all young people in Year Seven
upwards who are attending state schools or special schools.
Photographers will visit schools to take photographs and cards will
then be produced and sent direct to home address.
Parents and guardians of those pupils who are aged 15 or under will
have the opportunity to instruct the school that a card should not
be issued.
A card will need to be applied for by young people in the
following categories:
- where a card has not been automatically issued for whatever
reason, for example, some schools have not yet agreed to a visit
from a photographer or the student may not be in school or college
on the days when photographs were taken;
- young people aged 5-10, and those aged 11 who have not yet
moved into Year Seven;
- young people aged 16-19 who have not received a card
automatically from one of the four colleges in Suffolk;
- young people in private schools; and
- young people under 20 who are no longer in education.
Applications for the card will need to be made by young people aged
16 years old and above, or by a parent or guardian on behalf of
those aged 11-15 years old, who live in Suffolk but attend a school
or college outside the county.
Application forms are available from:
Application forms will also be available on request by phone
(0845 6 066 067) or online at
explore.suffolkonboard.com
Cards issued to young people under 16 will be Purple.
Cards issued to young people aged 16 and over will be Green.
Verifying and submitting an application
Completed applications forms, and a passport size photograph
will need to be verified by a professional person who knows the
applicant (e.g. school teacher, doctor, minister of religion, MP
etc) as indicated on the application form.
We need to confirm that the:
- applicant lives in Suffolk (for example via proof of
address);
- date of birth is correct (for example by checking against a
passport or a birth certificate);
- 'passport' photograph is that of the applicant.
Application forms can be submitted by post to:
Explore Card Administrator
Endeavour House
8 Russell Road
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP1 2BX
Or in person at one of our
Customer Service
Centres.
Please note: it is currently taking 2-3 weeks from receipt
of application for card to be issued – this is due to the large
number of applications currently being processed during the start
up period.
If a young person is in education and completes an application
form for the reasons above their Suffolk Youth Card card will
normally be posted to the home address.
For applications from Independent School, Primary school and
College students their cards will be sent direct to their home
address.