‘Tap and go’ system just the ticket on city buses

NATIONAL Express has introduced a new contactless payment system on some of its West Midland buses.

The Birmingham-based company has started a trial on its X1 and X2 services between the city and Solihull and Coventry.

The operator said tickets were cheaper using contactless with a daysaver 60p less and a single ticket for longer journeys in Birmingham 30p less.

The X1 route runs from Birmingham city centre to Coventry via the airport and the X2 goes between the city centre and Solihull.

The trial uses a retail model for transactions where the drivers select the tickets. The contactless technology will start appearing on Coventry buses later this year, followed by the rest of the West Midlands’ 1,600-strong next two years.

“The trial is going well,” said Peter Coates, managing director of National Express West Midlands. “Drivers tell me that passengers boarding at the airport are using the new card readers.

“We think people who have just arrived in Birmingham need an alternative to cash payments.

“They may not have the right change – or even the right currency.

“They’ve also seen our customers making contactless transactions in Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull town centres.

“We know from running the Midland Metro tram that our customers like contactless as more than 20 per cent of tickets sold are bought using contactless.” fleet over the