London-style ‘tap and cap’ travel card could be on the way to city

DERBY could be among several Midlands cities where a Londonstyle “tap and cap” smart payment platform for public transport is introduced.

Plans have been revealed for the system, which would be similar to the London Oyster card scheme, and would involve integrated payments for rail, bus and tram journeys.

Under the proposals, the scheme would operate across the Midlands, including in Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Birmingham.

Local government leaders across the region are leading calls for the scheme, and are calling for the government to invest the

£20 million needed to implement it.

Backers hope the system could be fully up and running by 2022 and include new transport initiatives such as electric bicycle and e-scooter rental.

A tap and cap system, similar to the platform used by Transport for London, would allow travellers to pay for trips on the rail, bus and tram network via their phone, travel pass or bank card. A new payment model would cap the payments at a daily or weekly limit, offering value for money for those travelling across the Midlands region.

While smart ticketing initiatives exist in some form in Nottingham, via the Robin Hood travel card, and in parts of the West Midlands via Swift – the UK’s second biggest public transport payment system after London’s Oyster scheme – the new platform would be the first to function at a Midlands-wide level and encompass all public transport operators.

New and different payment models have been touted as being essential in supporting more flexible work and travel patterns, where season tickets could represent poor value for money for many.

A contactless system would also make payments touch-free.

The development of the smart ticketing platform, which will be based on Swift payment technologies, will be led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) with initial roll-out implemented by TfWM and Nottingham City Council.

Strategic regional transport body Midlands Connect will work with other local authorities to integrate more areas into the scheme, which could be operational by 2022.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “With work habits changing in the face of the pandemic, we must support more flexible travel patterns, and this scheme would allow us to do exactly that.”