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Bus transit card trialled in the West Midlands
12 Jan 2012

A new transit card scheme which offers customers cheaper fares is being trialled on buses in the West Midlands.

Centro, the region's transport authority, is currently testing its new Signature card on bus services run by Rotala in and around the town of Solihull.

The £14 million scheme, which will eventually be rolled out across the Black Country, will allow bus passengers to load funds or passes onto the card and pay for their journeys without the need for cash.
Signature cardholders will pay a flat fare of £1.60 for each journey, compared to the standard cash fare of £1.90 or £1.70 for a shorter trip.

Geoff Inskip, chief executive of Centro, said: "It is a massive step towards our aim of eventually rolling out smartcard technology later this year for all bus users across the Centro region.

"For the first time, fare paying passengers can do away with the need for cash and will be able to make their journey by using electronic technology, a development which takes bus travel into the 21st century."

The Signature card will be free of charge but holders will need to load a minimum of £10 before it is used.