Ticketer returned to Euro Bus Expo with its usual flare this year, showcasing developments in its on-board tech offerings and updating customers on internal developments.
A recent focus for the company has been mobilising its systems across the Bee Network following its win of the Transport for Greater Manchester franchise contract. Coinciding with that has been a strategy to move the company’s offerings into what it describes as “the next generation” of hardware.
That new generation, expected to go to market next year, was demonstrated for the first time at Euro Bus Expo and has been well received by attendees. Designed to be upgradable with interchangeable components, the new generation of ETM includes card reader, printer and tablet.
CEO of Ticketer Kelly Hanna says the ethos behind the new machines is a modular-based “bigger and better” mentality, with faster boot-up times and card reading speeds a focus from customer feedback, and an ability to scale and cope with increased demand as the machines age.
The detachable driver tablet offers sharper focus and personalisation, and as part of Ticketer’s ‘connected strategy’ allows for android-based apps to be loaded for driver convenience. Integrated Voice over Internet Protocol is expected to debut sometime next year, allowing drivers to communicate through the hardware as well as leave pre-recorded voice notes.
Ticketer also showcased enhanced road restriction alerts to its existing solution, first introduced in 2021, which now includes navigational and hazard restrictions in addition to low bridge warnings. The Ticketer portal has also been updated to provide a solution to the needs of franchise owners and operators, informed by its experience mobilising its systems across Manchester.
“The one thing we like to do is keep our products consistent,” says Ms Hanna. “It’s the same experience, but better. The ease and useability of our machines is what makes us stand out.”
