A new 'tap on, tap off' bus payment system has been announced for First Bus services in Bristol. The new system - which only applies to adult customers - asks you to tap your card onto a card reader when getting on and off the bus, without asking the bus driver for a ticket.
The company says that this will cap fares so that you never pay more than a day ticket rate, no matter how many journeys you make. If you were to take three bus trips in one day in Bristol under the new system, one trip will cost you £2.20, a second trip would take your daily cost up to £4.30, and three or more would bring your total to £5 - the highest daily cost you can pay.
The money will come out of your account by the end of the day, and the amount you are charged depends on the journeys you make. Prices will also be calculated so that they are capped across the week, meaning an adult will never pay more than £23 for a week's bus travel in Bristol.
Read more: Major revamp of bus services in Bristol region to mirror seamless London transport
The changes, which come into effect on July 17, will also apply on First Bus services in Bath, Weston-super-Mare and the West of England region, although prices are different in these areas.
Doug Claringbold, managing director at First West of England, said: "We’re making it easier to use the bus with the introduction of Tap On, Tap Off. Simplicity is a key part of our plan to welcome back existing customers and encourage people who may not currently use buses to give them a try, especially at a time when alternatives to the car are not only the environmentally friendly option, but the most cost-effective too.
"With Tap On, Tap Off, customers will have the peace of mind of knowing their costs will be capped, and in boarding more quickly through not having to buy a ticket, everyone who uses the new system will be contributing to faster journeys”.
The new system will also cap your journeys to the price of cheaper night-bus tickets if you only travel between 7pm and 4.29am. The changes will also apply to Bristol and Bath Park and Ride services, the A1 and A3 Airport Flyer buses, as well as town fares in Clevedon, Frome, Nailsea, Portishead, Thornbury and Yate. However, it does not work for '3 Stop Hop' tickets, so you should ask the driver if this is the ticket you need.
While you can already pay by tapping your card onto the contactless reader on First Bus services, the new system requires you to tap off as well, or you will be charged the single journey price to the end of the route. Anyone who taps on at the bus will be charged for an adult ticket, so if you want to buy other tickets including child, student or group, you will need to buy them from the iPoint machines at metrobus stops, or on the First Bus app before you board the bus.
Bristol Live first reported that the new system was coming to Bristol in November 2021. It was reported at the time that it would be part of huge improvements to allow seamless travel, eventually including trains, similar to Transport for London (TfL).
The price-capping which has now been introduced was due to come first, followed by multi-company and discounted fares. The Bus Service Improvement Plan which outlined the changes said that buses spend 25 to 30 per cent of their time at bus stops, and that the proposals would halve this and improve journey times.
Dan Norris, Metro Mayor of the West of England, said: “I want to make it as easy as possible for people across the West of England to use buses. More journeys by bus across the West of England will help us reach our ambitious net-zero-by-2030 target and deal with congestion and pollution.
"'Tap On, Tap Off’ makes it easier for passengers, and by simplifying and streamlining the payment process, it speeds everything up. If it’s good enough for the capital, then it’s the very least that we should expect here in our region”.
To see more information from First Bus on the 'tap on, tap off' system, click here.
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