Accrington-based bus operator Pilkington Bus has become the first school bus service in the UK to introduce a self-scan mobile ticketing system which alerts parents and guardians that their child has safely boarded the vehicle.
The system uses UrbanThings’ smart ticketing solution Ticketless which consists of a mobile app coupled with a cloud-based mobility platform.
Ticketless uses Hex Tag technology which allows passengers to purchase tickets through the app then scan a unique QR code when boarding the vehicle to validate their ticket. As the QR code is placed on the vehicle parents receive an instant notification to indicate that their child has boarded the bus.
Since launching in September 2019, more than 8,000 Hex Tags are now scanned monthly by students using the app.
Carl Partridge, CEO of UrbanThings, says: “Hex Tag technology flips around the traditional concept of onboard ticket validators, turning the passenger’s smartphone into the validator instead.”
