1. Use of RIDACARDs is subject to these terms.

1.1 The RIDACARD scheme is promoted and operated by Lothian Buses plc, 31 Waverley Bridge, EDINBURGH, EH1 1BQ.

1.2 RIDACARDs remain the property of Lothian Buses at all times and Lothian Buses reserves the right to withdraw the RIDACARD at any time.

1.3 Drivers and officials of Lothian Buses may inspect the RIDACARD at any time.

1.4 A card issue fee (currently £3) is payable when a RIDACARD is issued. Notice of any change to this fee will be posted in Travelshops and on the Lothian Buses website.

1.5 It is the responsibility of the cardholder to notify Lothian Buses of any change to their contact details. The cardholder must also ensure that the photograph on their card remains a recognisable true likeness. If required, a replacement card can be obtained on payment of the appropriate fee.

1.6 RIDACARDs are not transferable and will be withdrawn without refund if presented for travel by anyone other than the person whose photograph appears on it.

2. Use

2.1 RIDACARDs can be used on all Lothian Buses services except Service 98 and Tours. A discount on the Night Buses Night Ticket fare is available on presentation of a valid RIDACARD.

2.2 On boarding a bus, the RIDACARD must be held on the reader tray of the ticket machine with the photograph clearly visible to the driver. The date displayed confirms that the RIDACARD is valid for travel. In case of difficulty, the cash fare for the journey should be paid and the card taken to a Lothian Buses Travelshop within two working days, where it can be checked and replaced if necessary. With the exception of Direct Debit RIDACARDS, for cards which have failed without any sign of visible damage, Lothian Buses will load the replacement card with compensatory time up to a maximum of three days. NOTE - no monetary refund will be paid in respect of any cash fares paid.

2.3 Lothian Buses will withdraw any RIDACARD which it believes has been tampered with or is being misused or has become illegible (see 1.5 above) or electronically unreadable.

3. Loss / Failure

3.1 Cardholders, or in the case of a Junior card the cardholder’s parent or carer, must report loss or theft of the card or any technical failure in person at a Lothian Buses Travelshop where a replacement card with the same expiry date will normally be issued. The fee for a replacement card (currently £3) will be waived if the failed card is undamaged.

3.2 Once cancelled, RIDACARDs must NOT be re-used. Once a replacement card has been issued, only that replacement card must be used for travel or subsequent RIDACARD purchases.

4. Refunds

4.1 To apply for a refund, the card must be returned to a Lothian Buses Travelshop.

4.2 Refunds on Advanced Purchase Annual RIDACARDs are paid in accordance with the published scale. The start date for the calculation of any refund will be the date when the card is returned to Lothian Buses. Refunds are only available on Annual RIDACARDs.

4.3 For Direct Debit RIDACARDs, a refund of money paid but not required to pay for travel will be made. In order to ensure that no unnecessary request for payment is made, notice of cancellation must be received five working days before the Monthly Payment date. The start date for the calculation of any refund will be the date when the card is returned to Lothian Buses. An administrative fee of £25 will be charged when the Direct Debit is cancelled within 12 months of the date of issue.

4.4 Refunds will be paid by cheque.

4.5 Correspondence related to Direct Debit payments, refunds and cardholder details can be e-mailed to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

5. Variation

5.1 Lothian Buses reserve the right to vary these Terms and Conditions.

6. Offers

6.1 Lothian Buses from time to time may contact the registered holder with details of special offers or services.

7. Direct Debit Initial Payment

7.1 The Direct Debit initial payment is NOT a “deposit”. The initial payment (currently £65) is used to pay for travel between the date of issue and receipt by Lothian Buses of the first Direct Debit payment. Subject to 4.3 above, that part of the initial payment which is not used to pay for travel will be refunded after cancellation of the Direct Debit mandate.

Student RIDACARDs are only available to pupils of secondary schools in the Lothian Buses operating area and to full-time students in possession of a currently valid photo-ID matriculation card from one of the following Universities and Colleges:

Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh’s Telford College, Free Church of Scotland College, Heriot-Watt University, Jewel & Esk College, Newbattle Abbey College, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Scottish Agricultural College, Stevenson College and University of Edinburgh.

Student RIDACARDs will not be valid for travel beyond the expiry date of the matriculation card which must be presented at the time of purchase.
For secondary school pupils who have reached the age of eighteen and older students whose matriculation card refers only to the academic year, the last day of validity for their Student Ridacard will be 30th November.
Continued eligibility to purchase a Student RIDACARD beyond those dates will require the cardholder to repeat the above process by presenting their new matriculation card at a Lothian Buses Travelshop.

Junior RIDACARDs are available to passengers aged between 5 and 15 (Direct Debit - 14). Proof of age is required at time of purchase. Junior RIDACARDs are not valid for travel on or after the cardholder’s 16th birthday.

§ Your £65 initial payment is used to pay for travel between issue of your RIDACARD and your first Direct Debit payment being received. To obtain a refund of money paid but not required to pay for travel, the card must be returned to Lothian Buses when your Direct Debit is cancelled.

* Valid on all Lothian Buses except Service 98 and Tours. A discount is available on the NIGHTBUSES fare on production of a valid RIDACARD.