Great Western Coffee Shop

Passengers could travel in Bristol without a paper ticket within five years
Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 12:00

Bristol is among nine major cities where passengers will be able to use public transport without a paper ticket within five years, it was revealed today.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis announced that England's nine largest urban areas will receive ^20 million to introduce smart and integrated ticketing.

The Government also wants every area of England to benefit from the Smart and Integrated Ticketing Strategy by 2020.

Smart tickets ^ a system where a ticket is stored on a microchip, on a smartcard (like Oyster) or even on a phone or bank card ^ can give improved journey times and faster, hassle-free purchasing and use of tickets, with associated benefits for local government and operators.

"Integrated smart" ticketing could be worth over ^1 billion per year, the Government believes.

To encourage bus operators to introduce smart ticketing systems, the Government has also announced an eight per cent increase in the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG).

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said: "The benefits of smart ticketing to passengers are clear ^ quicker, easier and potentially better value journeys on trains, buses and trams, whichever company runs the service. We could even see the death of the paper ticket as direct payment and mobile phone technology picks up pace.

"If passengers had smart tickets they'd almost certainly use public transport more. That's why I'm incentivising bus operators to make our vision of universal coverage of smart ticketing in England a reality and why we'll continue to require ITSO smart ticketing in rail franchises.

"Getting this technology on-board will help reduce congestion and pollution, improve the local environment, and help us, operators and local authorities provide the 21st century public transport network that we know people want."

The ^20m smart ticketing fund will be available in the nine largest urban areas in England outside London ^ Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Tyne and Wear, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire, Nottingham, Leicester and Bristol.

The funding will go towards implementing ITSO smart ticketing schemes in each region.

Bus operators will also receive a further two per cent increase in their BSOG rate if they fit GPS technology to their buses which allows the operator to track the position of their bus. Together these incentives could be worth around an additional ^1,000 in grant per bus each year.

Encouraging the take up and use of GPS systems will help realise the potential for passengers to receive real-time information about bus services and bus performance.

A recent survey commissioned by the Department indicated that integrated smart tickets have the potential to attract as many as 25 per cent of current non-public transport users onto the system and that a pre-pay smartcard with a daily "cap" could increase some individuals' trip rates by over 14%.

Obviously it's too much to ask for them to work on local trains too,

It will be introduced when the FGW franchise chnages hands. All recent new franchises (since SWT) have been required to bring in ITSO ticketing as part of the ITT.

Paul

Yeah but the franchise won't change hands, will it.

Bristol to get its own Oyster-style card by the end of next year

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MetroBus: smart cards from day one to pay for fares

An Oyster-style "smart" card will be introduced from day one on the long-awaited MetroBuses which should be up and running by the end of next year.

It will mean that passengers will be able to pre-pay for their card on the internet at home or on their iphone and then use it instead of cash when boarding one of the new hi-tech single deckers which will run on three routes that are now being built.

Passengers will be able to buy the cards in advance at shops or other sites such as a park and ride terminal. They will be top up their cards online, some shops or any of the 90 stops on the MetroBus network.

Eventually, the smart cards will also be linked to trains so that passengers will be able to travel throughout the Bristol region without any cash at all.

But transport executives admit that seamless travel between buses and trains is a long-term aspiration which will take some years before it becomes a reality.

The smart cards are already being tried out the park and ride services in Bristol and Bath to sort out software issues and any other technical problems.

Bristol was the first city that Bus operator First introduced its "Touch" card which has been in use now for more than a year.

Smart cards are seen as the way forward in the future because they reduce the amount of time that a bus has to remain stationary at bus stops while passengers pay for a ticket.

Instead of using cash to buy a ticket, a smart card means that a passenger has to swipe it as they get on a bus.

Transport executives also admit that the success of using smart cards needs a sea change in passenger habits. Research shows, for example, that people over 50 with a smart phone hardly ever download any apps which they could use to "pre-load" their card.

But though it has taken several years, London buses are now cash-less, thanks to universal acceptance of smart cards.

The new MetroBus stops will provide real-time information on the arrival of the next bus as well as a vending machine for smart tickets and a "loader pad" for activating smart cards.

At 20 of the 90 stops, there will be machines for passengers who want to pay for their tickets in cash.

The MetroBus will be aimed at middle-distance commuters who want a fast and reliable service as an alternative to using their car for travelling about.

There will be fewer stops than ordinary buses and the twin doors will mean passengers will be able to get on and off more quickly which will also reduce "dwell time".

One of the key elements of the new MetroBus will be the control of fares by the councils which are promoting the project.

Under Government regulations, the councils will be able decide how much passengers pay instead of leaving it up to the bus operators.

Buses were de-regulated under Margaret Thatcher with the aim of introducing competition among bus companies to keep fares down.

But what happened was that the biggest companies could force out independent operators by undercutting fares and then monopolising services so they could dictate their own prices.

The MetroBus could see different operators on each of the three routes because the network would be so financially viable.

But a Quality Partnership agreement, as set out by the councils, will not only govern fares but dictate frequency of services and even type of vehicles.

The MetroBuses will be single deckers with hybrid engines (diesel and electric) and twin doors to reduce "dwell time" at bus stops.

The transport board is expected to receive a report on a Quality Partnership agreement at its October meeting.

The MetroBus will see three routes introduced in the Bristol region:

+ Ashton Vale to Bristol Temple Meads: services up and running by winter, 2016.

+ South Bristol Link (Ashton Vale to Hengrove): up and running by winter, 2016;

+ North Bristol fringe to Hengrove: up and running by summer, 2017.

From the Bristol Evening Post:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Travel-Bristol-paper-ticket-years/article-1610272-detail/article.html

I hope this is true, it's what we're crying out for. The buses would get quicker overnight, demand would go up, and there would be many more cases of individuals choosing to use public transport instead of driving. It worked in London.

Obviously it's too much to ask for them to work on local trains too, but it could be the single biggest improvement to Bristol area transport in the 30 years I've been here. Although as one commentor pointed out, First withdrew the Buscard Plus tickets, where you bought ^10 of travel at 10% discount and used a card reader as you entered the bus.... but this is a more advanced and flexible system than that.

With real time information for all bus stops now available online, maybe in a few years First's boast that "Travelling around Bristol, Bath and the West on First bus services has never been easier" might actually be true.

^All aboard?^ Bristol currency now accepted at Bristol Temple Meads station

The Bristol Pound, the UK^s first city-wide local currency is to be accepted by First Great Western for the first time at our Bristol Temple Meads station.

Designed to build stronger community connections and support a greener local economy, the currency is already accepted by First bus, Good Energy and Bristol City Council for Council Tax. Now customers will be able to us Bristol Pounds at the station^s ticket offices from Tuesday 14 July to be used to buy rail tickets.

Station Manager Mike Holmes explains: ^Dedicated to supporting the communities we serve, when I heard about the Bristol Pound I wanted to get on board ^ and to help focus peoples^ minds on all things local. The Great Western mainline was built not only to connect London to Bristol, but to transport the goods arriving from America at Bristol harbour to the capital and beyond. As we continue to build a greater west, we are know that Bristol^s influence as a key economic player and as city of culture and creativity will continue to grow.^

People in the city can open accounts held with Bristol Credit Union, and then they can withdraw Bristol Pounds at selected cash points across the city, use their mobile phone, or online to pay for goods or services at hundreds of Bristol locations. The ticket office at Bristol Temple Meads will be able to accept the paper version of the Bristol Pound. 

Michael Lloyd-Jones, Core Scheme Manager of the Bristol Pound said: ^Almost three years since the Bristol Pound was launched, we^re delighted that First Great Western are now accepting Bristol Pounds at Temple Meads station. It^s another big milestone for the ^B scheme in our year as European Green Capital. Together I hope we can continue to grow the Bristol Pound scheme and make it a normal activity for everyone living and visiting Bristol.^

James Berry, CEO of Bristol Credit Union, also welcomed the new initiative: ^Bristol Credit Union provides community banking right across Bristol and the West of England region and we^re delighted to be able to support our local independent businesses through making sure even more of Bristol^s money stays local. Welcome aboard First Great Western!^

Bristol Credit Union provides savings and loans to its members, as well as the Bristol Pound accounts, and will soon be offering a range of business lending too.

You can spend Bristol Pounds at every participating business using either paper Bristol Pounds (in ^B1, ^B5, ^B10 and ^B20 denominations), from a Bristol Pound account using any mobile phone by using a txt2pay system, or over the internet.

To find out where you can spend your Bristol pounds and through and ^B cash points where you can change your sterling visit the Bristol Pound website: bristolpound.org

I rarely travel by bus now, mostly because I've no need but partly because of the difficulty of knowing which bus to get to reach my destination and that I'm not certain how much it will cost. Going back several years though and I used the bus almost every day ^ but then I was living in a large city in continental Europe (population about 2-2.5 million) and had a season ticket. This meant I didn't need to think about the cost ^ effectively there wasn't any ^ nor the ticket. This wasn't any sort of smart card, it was just a printed ticket but valid for all services in the city for a certain length of time; you could get them for periods from one day up to six months. Something like that would be good.

Surely Bristol has got that sort of ticket already?

"unlimited travel on most bus and all rail services in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire"

Most bus but not all!

Should the title of this thread be changed? It is was made in 2009, some 6 years ago and little has changed since to make the existing smart cards anything like "Oyster" cards usable on both bus, tram and rail in London for a wide range of alternative paper/card tickets.

'Oyster card' system to come to Bristol

An 'Oyster card' system, like the one used in London, is set to be coming to Bristol.

First Bristol has today announced plans to make improvements to its ticketing in and around Bristol over the next two years.

It includes a new Smart Pass, which means people can go cashless when using public transport in the city.

Starting in spring next year, a joint bus and rail smartcard scheme will be launched.

In the first instance, it will offer weekly ticketing options, while also introducing contactless credit card payments on certain services.

By 2018, those using the bus or train can use their contactless credit or debit card, while accessing real-time information via an app. The app will include rail and bus time tables and tickets.

The idea is that the system replaces cash as a means of payment by 2020.

Last year, the bus company carried 54 million passengers in the West of England, a 20 per cent increase from two years ago.

Around 175,000 people used m-tickets on their mobile phones in the last three months, a 123 per cent increase on the previous three months.

James Freeman, managing director of First Bristol said: "The smart revolution in transport ticketing is definitely rolling into town. This year will see further developments in preparation for taking major steps forward in 2017. The aim is to provide people with a really simple, easy and cost-effective way of paying for their travel and to speed up boarding times. We know these are currently very slow in the West of England and a cause of some real frustration."

The use of mTicketing has been advancing rapidly in Bristol. This summer will see the introduction of new products, including a 10-trip ticket for shorter journeys as well as a five-trip ticket. The aim is to see boarding times cut, in a bid to make sure buses get to their locations on time.

Bristol Mayor George Ferguson said: "I'm delighted with this development, building on my ambition to introduce a 'Bristol Smart Pass'. I have been determined to implement the next generation of smart ticketing across Bristol to enable vastly improved movement and access by public transport. Technology has moved at such a pace over the past three years, with the vast majority of us now using smartphones as an integral part of our day to day lives."

Why doesn't Bristol have an Oyster card?

On 4 May 2017, voters in some parts of the West of England will choose their first elected mayor. Readers have asked how the new appointment will affect transport in the region and why it does not yet have a travel pass similar to an Oyster card.

Whoever is elected will lead a combined authority of representatives from each of the existing unitary authorities - Bristol, North East Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire and Bath - as part of a devolution deal which will take decision-making from Westminster.

It will give the mayor control over important issues, including how to tackle Bristol's transport problems and make daily commutes quicker, cheaper and greener.

However, while most candidates support introducing a simplified ticketing scheme, the issue is complicated.

Services in Bristol were deregulated 30 years ago and the region does not have an integrated transport authority.

It means the city is now serviced by various different transport providers, unlike in London, where travel decisions fall to mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London.

At present, bus passengers in Bristol can use the Avonrider, which allows travel on all buses regardless of operator, with an option to add rail travel.

First Bus has been trialling contactless payments on the Bristol Park and Ride, while Great Western Railway is launching a pilot of its first smartcard service on the Severn Beach line.

However a joined-up pass with a cap on daily travel is still some way off.

The Campaign for Better Transport said the mayoral candidates need to feel the heat on transport from voters.

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The Mayor of the West of England candidates, from top left: Stephen Williams (Lib Dem), Lesley Ann Mansell (Lab), John Christopher Savage (Independent), Darren Edward Hall (Green), Aaron Warren Foot (UKIP), Tim Bowles (Con)


Lianna Etkind, from the group, said: "This [election] offers mayors and local authorities the chance to plan whole transport networks rather than the situation which we have at the moment where there's a route-by-route approach and so many decisions are out of the hands of the local authority. That might mean getting a smartcard so that passengers could use the same ticket on local rail services and on all the different bus companies."

In London, commuters can top up their Oyster cards and use credit cards and phones to pay for journeys at turnstiles, allowing seamless travel.

Providers in Bristol are hopeful they are moving closer to a similar system.

First Bus has been promising an Oyster card system for almost a decade - with the BBC first writing about the possibility in March 2008.

Despite the project being a long time in the making, the firm said an electronic system is "closer than it has ever been" and hopes to roll it out to the rest of its services later in the year.

A spokesman added: "The next task will be to create a contactless system that allows the travel day to be capped as in London."

A GWR spokesman said: "Following the results of the pilot, there's the potential to extend to our bus services as well as rolling it out to other rail services in the area but we would need to make sure all the ticket barriers and associated stations had the relevant technology."

Ms Etkind said there was "a long way to go" but there were "many reasons to be hopeful".

She added: "This could make a huge difference to people's daily experience - how they travel to work, education or to visit friends and family."

As one of the few cities where the same company controls local buses and trains, and consequently some of the highest rail and bus fairs in the country, you'd think that First would have offered a simple payment system for buses and trains, but alas no.

So, which one of these potential candidates will be most likely to deliver a fair transport system, with a single capped daily charge for local travel.

To give an example of my options

- single, home to BPW , £3, 15 minutes by bus
- single, home to BTM , £3 60-150 minutes by bus
- dayrider, unlimted bus travel £4
- single from BPW-BTM, £3.80, 15 minutes
- return from BPW-BTM, £3.60


What is the chance of a daily ticket for all bus/local train travel and what is the likely cost?

Not yet a full blown intermodal system. but smart card ticketing is coming to Bristol soon