CITY councillors will decide whether to accept a £1.1m grant to invest in smart ticketing to improve public transport across Nottingham.

The cash could be spent on mobile ticketing centres to enable people to access ticketing and travel information at more convenient times and locations, such as workplaces or district centres.

It could also pay for new and upgraded ticket machines and smartcard readers or upgrade all existing smartcards in Greater Nottingham to the latest most secure and flexible type.

Nottingham was awarded a £2.2m grant by the Department for Transport (DfT) to help progress its smartcard ticketing plans.

Final approval was given on February 15, with £1.1m to be spent in 2009/10 and £1.1m in 2010/11.

Coun Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for transport and area working at Nottingham City Council, said:"If the investment is agreed it will improve accessibility to the Citycard scheme by the use of mobile travel centres and will also bring greater flexibility and scope to the Citycard project – by upgrading smartcards."

Councillors must decide at an Executive Board meeting on Tuesday, March 16, whether to accept the grant and spend it according to the plan agreed with the DfT.