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Bristol smart card travel could be in place by September
6 Apr 2010

Contactless smart cards could be in use on Bristol's buses as early as September this year.

Bristol Council and a Chippenham-based firm have agreed on an arrangement that will see the firm run the smart card system.

The company will record every journey made and is responsible for ensuring that the correct bus operator is paid.

Bus companies operating the region must now upgrade their facilities to accommodate the new technology.

A spokeswoman for First, one of the region's bus companies, told thisisbristol.co.uk of the organisation's pleasure at the news.

"We are pleased that the council has taken steps to put its back office operation in place for this," she said.

"We will, of course, work with them to develop the necessary connectivity with our bus services, although exact timelines have yet to be finalised."

First have experience of running contactless smart card transit payment schemes in Bradford and as a consequence it is hoped that it will be able to upgrade its bus routes quickly.

The chairman of the west of England transport committee, Charles Gerrish, sees the move in Bristol as the first step towards a regional smart ticketing system.

"This brings the day we have a smart card for the west of England area closer," he said.