Contactless payments are to be introduced to the bus and tram network in Nottingham.
Nottingham City Council made a successful bid for £2.4m from the Department for Transport to develop the technology, which will also include a daily cap on fares already enjoyed by users of the Robin Hood and Mango cards.
As part of the same project, passengers using the Robin Hood card will be able to link it to their bank account, meaning they can benefit from auto top up.
Cllr Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Local Transport, said: “We all know how popular contactless payment is in London – it’s so much quicker, easier and more convenient than buying a ticket – and we’re really excited we’ll be able to offer this to our citizens.
“We’ll be working with our partners at the tram and the bus operators in the city to deliver a payment method that works across multiple services, and sets a limit on the daily fare, always giving the best value for passengers.
“To become one of the first cities outside London to provide this is testament to how Nottingham is at the forefront of public transport, with an already award-winning integrated, efficient and low-emission system that puts passengers first.”
The new system will include the major bus and tram routes within Greater Nottingham, and lay the foundation for future roll out across the wider city region. In addition to daily capped fares, it will include the potential to introduce weekly caps, while longer period caps will be explored further.
Anthony Carver-Smith, Nottingham City Transport (NCT) Marketing Manager commented: “We are really excited to be working with Nottingham City Council and other transport operators in the city to bring the convenience of contactless payments to our buses, which alongside Easyrider and Robin Hood smartcards and the NCTX Buses mobile ticketing app, will offer another way our customers can save money and avoid the hassle of carrying cash.”
Robin Hood Card users can expect to benefit from the technology from late 2018, while contactless payments by bank card and phone will go live during 2019.
Cllr Longford added: “The simplification of payment will speed up boarding and make public transport a more attractive option, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality for everyone.
“High quality public transport is also essential to support economic growth.”
