Littlepay has launched a new multi-operator contactless payment scheme in North Wales. The transport payment infrastructure provider is collaborating with Transport for Wales, Ticketer and 25 local transport operators to deliver a seamless travel experience for the bus users in Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham. The initiative, managed by Transport for Wales, gives passengers the freedom to travel on multiple bus operators’ services without having to plan and purchase a multi-operator ticket in advance and with the reassurance that each journey will be charged at the best available rate.
Head of Integrated Transport at TfW Huw Morgan said: “This innovative solution will simplify the payment process for customers and give them confidence that they are consistently receiving great value for money when travelling by bus throughout North Wales. This is a ‘first in UK’ multi-operator scheme of this scope, which Transport for Wales are proud to be supporting on behalf of the people of Wales. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this new service.”
All 25 participating operators were existing Littlepay merchants and were able to bring together their offerings using the Littlepay Broker service. This service handles the complexities of multi-operator ticketing while giving operators and authorities the data and tools to ensure complete transparency between all parties for support, reconciliation and auditing. Transport for Wales has provided a bi-lingual, centralised passenger portal available in Welsh and English. Passengers can securely enter their payment card details to access journey history and process refund requests across all participating operators.
Paul Griffin from Littlepay explained: “Riders want a hassle-free journey on public transport and unifying transit operators under a regional multi-operator scheme makes travelling from A to B a stress-free experience. Public transit becomes a very attractive option when there is no need to compare the fare prices and routes of the available operators. If most operators in the region are taking part in a multi-operator capping scheme, riders can simply board a bus and enjoy the best fare available without having to stop and plan the journey – which is exactly what Transport for Wales has achieved with this initiative.”
