Free Wales bus passes: Users crash website ahead of card changes

The change is part of Transport for Wales' plans to modernise travel around Wales

Large numbers of people applying for new free bus passes have crashed part of a government website.

About 730,000 over-65s use concessionary cards in Wales and have until 31 December to sign up for new electronic ones.

Applications opened on Wednesday and Transport for Wales (TfW) reported "high volumes" of traffic to its website.

It told users not to panic as old cards are valid until the end of the year.

Pass-holders account for 47% of all bus journeys in Wales, according to recent figures

TfW, which took over running public transport in Wales last year, wants users to switch to new-style cards, which are recognised on electronic readers so they will "work as part of an integrated travel network in the future".

A statement on its website said: "We're experiencing an exceptionally high volume of hits to our new concessionary travel card site."

It added it planned to take down the new website in a bid to "boost the capacity to better manage" the traffic.