Stagecoach plans to introduce a new contactless payment system, following Arriva's lead.
Arriva North West has brought in a 'tap and go' way to pay for travel on buses in the Liverpool City Region., which marks a change from the existing contactless card payment system. Passengers tap on with their contactless card or device and will not receive a ticket, with the fare calculated later - based on how many journeys they make.
When passengers tap onto the bus for one journey, they will pay the adult single fare of £2. If they make additional journeys throughout the same day, the payment will be capped at the adult day ticket price and if they make additional journeys throughout the week, the price will be capped at the adult weekly ticket price.
READ MORE: Major ticket change coming for Arriva bus users
As things stand, the system is only available on Arriva buses in the Liverpool City Region. If passengers intend to use both Arriva and Stagecoach buses, they will need to purchase a ticket in the normal way.
However, work is in progress to ensure that the system can be used on other bus operators and to integrate it with other public transport systems. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's preferred model for the future of buses is to bring them into public control, which would give the authority greater control over ticketing.
Additionally, Stagecoach - one of the region's two biggest bus operators, plans to implement the tap and go system. A spokesperson for Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire told the ECHO : "We are working with the Liverpool City Region on a longer-term plan to bring in a London style Tap and Go system to the city. The system would work across all transport operators in the region and will require new ticketing infrastructure which may take some time to implement if these plans are approved.
"In the meantime, we currently offer single, DayRiders, MegaRiders and Flexi tickets across the region, giving customers the option of tickets to suit their travel needs and offer the best value for money depending on how often they travel. Customers can purchase these different ticket types on our app, website and on bus by using cash or contactless payment."
Likewise, a spokesperson for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said: “While the introduction of tap and go ticketing on some services across the city region is a good start, this is just one step towards a much bigger journey in transforming the region's bus network.
" Mayor Rotheram has outlined his plans to revolutionise ticketing with a proper tap-and-go system that caps fares across all modes of transport as part of his pledge to build a London-style transport system.
“Major reform of the region’s buses is central to that and, earlier this year, those plans took a significant step forward after franchising was unanimously voted as the preferred model for the future of the region's bus network, which will give the Combined Authority greater control over issues such as ticketing, fares, routes and timetables.
“But simplifying ticketing is just one of the ways that the Mayor is working to radically improve bus services in the Liverpool City Region, having recently cut the price of a single adult fare to just £2 and the cost of a MyTicket, which gives young people unlimited travel for just, frozen at £2.20 until 2025, making it cheaper and easier for people across the region to travel by bus.”
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
Police officer screamed racist abuse and recorded himself by mistake
Couple lose six and a half stone after making one simple change
Driver in 90mph chase was 'scared because of man who got shot by police'
'Wicked' carer left woman to die alone after lying about visiting
