Bus Smart Cards

Oberon

Sr. Member

Posts: 186

Bus Smart Cards

« on: September 02, 2014, 08:08:26 »

Bus and tram passengers in Edinburgh now have a new way of paying for their journeys, through the new pre-paid smartcard, ^citysmart^. Maybe those in charge of Bristol's public transport might take notice.


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Network SouthEast

Hero Member

Posts: 492

Re: Bus Smart Cards

« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2014, 08:57:29 »

I'm sure ITSO ticketing will arrive in Bristol sooner or later. Bus companies that implement it get a 8% increase in the Bus Service Operators Grant they receive.


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JayMac

Data Manager
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Posts: 18924

Re: Bus Smart Cards

« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2014, 12:42:45 »

Already have an ITSO scheme in limited use in Bristol.

http://www.libertysmartcard.co.uk/#/buy-liberty/4579979875

Valid across Wessex services in Bristol and also, I believe, in Bath.

No doubt when First get their act together they will have a separate scheme.

The chances of a smart card being usable city-wide on all bus operators and local trains are, I'd hazard a guess, approximately 0%.


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Chris from Nailsea

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Posts: 17895

I am not railway staff

Re: Bus Smart Cards

« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2014, 12:56:07 »

As high as that? Shocked


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didcotdean

Transport Scholar
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Posts: 1425

Re: Bus Smart Cards

« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2014, 15:42:29 »

Oxford managed to get three bus companies to agree to interoperability of smart cards but it took years to agree and implement and applies only to period tickets, and each operator can still issue cheaper versions valid only on its own buses. Still a start I suppose.


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bobm

Administrator
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Posts: 9843

Re: Bus Smart Cards

« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2014, 17:11:46 »

In Swindon Thamesdown have a smart card on which you can load a day, weekly or 13 week ticket. Everytime you use it you get a ticket showing the validity of the pass which you can then use on a Stagecoach bus as they cannot read the smartcards.

Only snag is you end up with lots of pieces of paper....


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JayMac

Data Manager
Hero Member

Posts: 18924

Re: Bus Smart Cards

« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2014, 22:10:54 »

First West of England are piloting a Smartcard for use on their buses. It's called 'touch'.

Initially covering just the Bristol Inner and Outer Zones and the only products currently available to load on it are Adult Weekly or Monthly Season Tickets.

After a trial period the Smartcards will become available for Children, Students and Young Persons. The area of validity and ticket types availalbe to load may also grow after this pilot scheme has been assessed.

'touch' cards can be obtained online here, or from the First Travel Shops at Bristol and Bath Bus Stations.

Loading of products is only available on buses, or in the First Travel Shops at Bristol and Bath Bus Stations (despite Bath being outside the trial area Huh

) at the moment. Online top-up is under development.

No mention yet of a Pay As You Go option.

More details at: http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/touchsmartcard/


« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 22:17:42 by bignosemac »	Logged

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