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Leeds public transport to get contactless smart cards?
19 Apr 2011

People using buses and trams in Leeds are likely to be paying for their journeys with Oyster-style contactless smart cards in the future.

Public transport in West Yorkshire is co-ordinated by Metro and its chairman Chris Greaves recently spoke to the Guardian Leeds about the introduction of the technology.

He explained there are a number of benefits, with people only requiring one card to travel on all forms of transport, whether it is buses or trains.

The expert said that although the "back office stuff" is ready to go, the different operators still need to agree to a contactless scheme as it costs £2,000 to install readers on each bus.

However, Mr Greaves was positive about the idea.

"I strongly believe a single card-based system is the way forward," he stated.

Leeds is not the only city set to embrace the technology, as the Scotsman recently reported that Glasgow's underground system will start using a new contactless smart card system in 2013, ahead of the Commonwealth Games.