First Bus passengers will still be able to purchase tickets through the app despite the introduction of the 'tap on, tap off' scheme. The company has also said customers can also continue to purchase tickets on board the bus.
The new payment system - which came into effect on Sunday (July 17) - means passengers can tap their cards onto the card readers when they board and leave the bus. The change only applies to adult customers and caps prices at £5 per day.
Some passengers were left wondering if the changes meant they could still use old methods of payment, such as purchasing tickets through the app or when boarding the bus. First Bus confirmed on Twitter that these means of payment would still be accepted on their services.
Read more: First Bus announce new 'tap on, tap off' bus payment system for Bristol
Tap on, Tap Off has been introduced across their ticket zones in Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare and West of England . The company has said it is the quickest and easiest form of payment that can be used on adult tickets for the following tickets: Single, 2-Trip, Day, 3Day, 5Day, Night or Week ticket.
First Bus has said that the scheme will cap fares so that you never pay more than a day ticket rate, no matter how many journeys you make, with a day's worth of travel capped at £5. If you were to take three bus trips in one day in Bristol under the new system, one trip will cost you £2.20, a second trip would take your daily cost up to £4.30, and three or more would bring your total to £5.
The money will come out of your account by the end of the day, and the amount you are charged depends on the journeys you make. Prices will also be calculated so that they are capped across the week, meaning an adult will never pay more than £23 for a week's bus travel in Bristol.
Speaking on the new scheme, Doug Claringbold, managing director at First West of England, said: "With Tap On, Tap Off, customers will have the peace of mind of knowing their costs will be capped, and in boarding more quickly through not having to buy a ticket, everyone who uses the new system will be contributing to faster journeys”.
The new system will also cap your journeys to the price of cheaper night-bus tickets if you only travel between 7pm and 4.29am. The changes will also apply to Bristol and Bath Park and Ride services, the A1 and A3 Airport Flyer buses, as well as town fares in Clevedon, Frome, Nailsea, Portishead, Thornbury and Yate. However, it does not work for '3 Stop Hop' tickets, so you should ask the driver if this is the ticket you need.
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