A partnership between First Bus, Ticketer and Littlepay has led to the implementation of one of the largest Tap On / Tap Off (TOTO) schemes outside of London.
The First Leicester fleet launched 92 Tap Off readers in June, which were installed over a four-day period, and First Bus Potteries, Stoke-on-Trent, have now introduced 105 readers across their fleet.
TOTO is a multi-operator scheme developed by Ticketer and Littlepay, a transit-focused payment service provider. It is designed to offer a simple way for passengers to pay for travel by enabling them to tap on and tap off at the start and end of their journeys using a contactless card.
In Leicester, the scheme has been implemented in partnership with Leicester City Council, and with funding from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). The TCF enabled the purchase and installation of the ticketing machines, and First Bus worked closely with stakeholders to minimise fleet downtime while installation took place.
The Ticketer tap off readers work together with Ticketer Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) to enable a pay-as-you-go solution for passengers. TOTO contactless also combines with daily and weekly fare capping.
According to Ticketer, customers can travel freely and are automatically only charged for the travel they make. If they make several trips in a day, fares will be capped at the daily ticket price; and those who travel several days per week pay a fare capped at the weekly ticket price.
In addition, the system results in minimal driver interaction which can reduce boarding times for passengers, ensuring that buses leave stops on time and maintain punctuality.
First Bus will also be able to gather information on travel patterns via the Ticketer Portal. Boarding and alighting information will enable improvements to capacity management services.
Simon Pearson, commercial director at First Bus, said: “We have worked closely with our partners Ticketer and Littlepay to understand and implement technology that brings new benefits to our customers.
“Making ticketing easier is central to our plan to welcome back existing customers and encourage others to start taking the bus more often. The Tap On / Tap Off function makes bus journeys simpler and gives customers peace of mind as they know that they will be charged the best value fare whether they have taken the bus for a single journey or multiple journeys throughout the day.”
