Contactless spreads at Stagecoach

Contactless payments have now spread to Stagecoach’s bus services in the north east of England. The system allows passengers to pay with contactless credit or debit cards as well as Apple Pay and Android Pay. New dedicated ticket machines have been installed on the fleet of more than 470 buses and coaches.

MD at Stagecoach North East, Steve Walker, said, ‘The introduction of contactless is yet another demonstration of the practical improvements bus operators are making for passengers. This is a new fast, easy and secure way for customers to pay for bus travel and complements the many other technology solutions we have introduced recently. More of our customers are using contactless cards to pay for coffee, sandwiches and many other day-to-day activities. Transport is a key part of people’s lives and this is another great reason for people to choose greener and smarter bus travel. However, the delivery of high-quality bus services is a shared responsibility.’

‘While we are investing in the parts of the service that we control, we need local authorities and our politicians to play their part and tackle the single biggest issue facing bus passengers, traffic congestion. Congestion on our roads slows down journeys, pushes up fares, reduces air quality and undermines the work of operators to deliver improvements and attract more people to bus travel. We need politicians to step up and tackle this growing problem now, to allow our local bus networks to flourish.’