With the introduction of new ticket machines, all First Manchester vehicles will accept contactless payments by October 2018.
Contactless payments will mean that customers can switch from paying with cash to using their card or mobile, which will make it easier to catch the bus, as customers will not need to worry about having the right change for their bus fare. The switch from cash will also have a huge impact on boarding times; helping in the longer term, to speed up bus journey times.
For customers looking for even more convenient ways to buy your bus tickets, First Manchester also offers mobile tickets via its mTickets app. These tickets can be purchased in advance of boarding the bus and in most cases, are cheaper than buying your ticket directly from the driver.
Ian Humphreys, First Manchester MD, says: “Contactless payments, alongside our success with mobile ticketing, is pivotal as we continue to make bus travel a convenient, simple and attractive experience for our customers.Use of mTickets is exceeding our expectations and continues to grow daily, so I fully expect customers to welcome and grasp contactless bus travel with the same enthusiasm.
“If more customers converted to using mTickets, contactless or the Get Me There smartcard, then this would have a huge impact on boarding times and would help us in the battle to speed up the bus. We are determined to transform the experience for all our customers and I am delighted that technology is now able to deliver so many benefits for our passengers.
