A PIONEERING travel smart card could be up and running in Cumbria in 18 months time thanks to an £800,000 Government grant.

The innovative idea, which aims to create "seamless" journeys for both local people and visitors, has been selected for funding by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, and is the first of its kind to be introduced in a rural locality.

Plans to develop an integrated public transport system in North Lancashire have also been boosted by £660,500 for a project called Carnforth Connect.

And both counties are set to receive increased funding for rural bus services, with £1,222,506 coming to Cumbria for 2001/2 and Lancashire due to get £959,529.

Beverley Hughes MP, parliamentary under-secretary at the DETR, announced the new funding packages at a press conference in Penrith on Monday.

Arriving by bus, Ms Hughes, who has special responsibility for the Lake District Transport Strategy implementation plan, described the smart card scheme as a "flagship" project for not only Cumbria, but for the Government as well.

"It's a very important scheme for the Lake District integrated transport strategy, but also on a much bigger scale, as most other smart card schemes we have funded so far have been in urban areas with large numbers of travellers.

"We want to learn as much as we can from this project because it has potential to apply lessons we have learned to other parts of the country."

The smart card system would operate on all modes of local transport - bus, rail, ferry, taxi, tram - with passengers able to pay their fares in advance or at the end of the month.

A scoping study is being carried out at the moment, but it is not envisaged the scheme will be in operation for at least 18 months

The money awarded to Carnforth Connect will enable a new demand responsive bus service to be set up to serve the town and surrounding villages, and bus and rail timetables will be co-ordinated.

An office will be set up to give information about services, take bookings for the buses, and infrastructure changes will include creating a central interchange in the town, and a bus focal point at Haws Hill.

Richard Toon, chair of highways and transportation for Lancashire County Council, said he was delighted with the news.

"It's absolutely brilliant," he said.

"It will breathe life back into the station, the town and the area."