Primary and secondary pupils could benefit from a smart ticketing scheme to make it easier to travel to school by bus.
Already introduced in the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute, the initiative is open to every local authority in Scotland.
School pupils will be provided with either a Kidz or Young Scot card which will allow them to travel at specific times during the school day.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “This innovative project is a welcomed development in smart ticketing which will benefit pupils travelling to school by bus across Scotland.
“The use of smart technology to enable one card to fulfil many purposes is aligned to Transport Scotland’s long term vision that all journeys on Scotland’s bus, rail, ferry, subway and tram networks can be accessed using some form of smart ticketing or payment.”
Argyll and Bute Council head of facility services Malcolm MacFadyen said: “Anything which makes travelling easier and more convenient for the people who use our transport services is to be welcomed.”
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar transport manager, David Smart said: “This project is the first step towards the introduction of smart ticketing on the Western Isles and we’re pleased to be involved in this partnership.
“We are committed to delivering greater convenience, ease of travel, and access to Comhairle services and we see smart ticketing as an important way of delivering that objective.”