An 'innovative' new scheme designed to lower bus fares will be trialled on a number of services across Bridgend county borough, with the aim of making fares easier and more flexible.
First Cymru is set to begin its 'tap on, tap off' pilot that will last for three months, and sees customers paying fares in line with how far they travel as opposed to the number of journeys they make.
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It means when a passenger taps on using a contactless debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, they will be charged a minimum fare of £1.60 to cover the first 2km of their journey. If they travel any further than this, they will be charged based on the distance up to a maximum of £5 per day.
This £5 per day price cap will also be lowered as customers travel more in the same week, with a weekly maximum spend in place to ensure the most they pay is £21. The pilot will be running on all of First Cymru’s buses in the county except for Cymru Clipper services - its longer distance services that connect Bridgend with Port Talbot, Swansea and Cardiff, which will continue to be charged in the usual way.
Aled Williams, marketing manager at First Cymru said it has been working on the project with Bridgend County Borough Council and Transport for Wales with the goal of offering customers a more flexible fare system. He said: "We are excited to see the results of the pilot and more importantly how it goes down with our customers.
"One of our priorities is to find innovative ways to save customers money and to make bus a great value option for more people. This pilot will run for an initial three months and could be rolled out into other areas of Wales in the future if successful."
Cllr John Spanswick is the cabinet member for communities who oversees transport in the area, and says the daily price cap could help a number of residents during the current cost-of-living crisis. He said: "The First Cymru ‘Tap on, Tap off' pilot scheme is great news for residents in Bridgend county borough as it will help to make bus travel more flexible and fairer than ever before. The daily price cap is a great idea, particularly during the current cost-of-living crisis.
"I urge residents to consider using the bus as a viable alternative to driving as there are many benefits to both individuals and the environment. This will also go a long way to helping Bridgend County Borough Council meet its 2030 Net Zero Carbon strategy." You can read more of our stories from Bridgend here.
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