Bus passengers across the district have paved the way for fares being paid with plastic cards in other parts of the country.

More than 3,000 First Bradford travellers are already using smart cards in a national pilot scheme launched six weeks ago.

First Bradford's parent company First Group says the cards will now come into use in other cities following the Bradford success story.

First Bradford - which has also brought in a fleet of super buses - says it has now bucked the national trend by increasing the use of public transport.

Passenger numbers have increased by four per cent on routes where the Sovereign super buses operate.

And First Bradford predicts a five per cent increase up to the year 2005 on some routes.

A company spokesman said: "Historically, travel on public transport has declined nationally, but the trend has changed in Bradford where we are bringing in a lot of improvements."

The company is even giving training to crews in being friendly and helpful - and the recruits pick up problems first hand by talking to people at bus stops before they go out on the road.

Bradford will be also one of the first cities in Britain to get an £11 million state-of-the-art guided bus lane in Manchester Road next year.

Super buses will travel on tracks to and from the city on one of the district's most snarled up roads.

Today, First Group's chief executive Moir Lockhead said passenger growth in Bradford had been accelerated by a "big bang" approach.

He said the smart card scheme in Bradford had been so successful it would be offered in other cities including Bristol, Manchester, Leicester and Aberdeen.

He said the company also hoped to put guided bus lanes in other parts of the country following the Bradford project.

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