Gone are the days of fumbling for change and making dashes to the cashpoint just to hop into town thanks to a Norwich bus provider’s new mobile app.
Today, First Bus have launched their project to allow travellers across Norfolk and Suffolk to store their tickets on their mobile phones.
As simple as downloading for free, securely adding your card details, buying your tickets, activating your chosen one and showing the bus driver.
First is hoping to connect people in rural areas and make public transport more accessible.
Steve Wickers, business director for first eastern counties, said: “This is great news for customers. I’m proud that First Eastern Counties will now be able to offer customers the opportunity of using their mobile phones as a bus ticket.”
The launch brings local transport into the 21st century alongside other destinations such as Leicester, Aberdeen, Essex and Worcester.
Originally offered to students at the University of East Anglia, First have now rolled out the carpet to all customers and is hoping to replicate the success achieved in other towns including, increasing travellers, speeding up boarding times and helping to make sure buses are on time.
Mr Wickers added: “The flexibility of tickets on offer means that anyone who travels has a ticket they can use. You can download 10 tickets and then you choose when you want to use it.
“The principle behind activation is if you see the bus is coming down the road or you know the time you are going to catch, you activate that ticket. It’s then active for its period of validity.”
The UEA launch
The bus company initially launched its free First Bus mTickets app to students at the University of East Anglia and now it is being rolled out to everyone.
The students have been enjoying the cash-free service for months, but now the app and journey planner to help travellers organise their trips are available to everyone in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Steve Wickers, business director of First Eastern Counties, said: “It’s an innovative scheme that we launched with our student market at the UEA and has been extremely successful with an increase of over 30pc in the number of UEA Annual passes being sold as mTickets this year.”
The tickets available to purchase from the app are: FirstDay, FirstWeek, FirstTenner, FirstMonth, First 3Month, FirstAnnual, FirstHigh5.
One of Britain’s largest bus operators, the company provides Norfolk and Suffolk with a fleet of 250 buses across the area and all will be accepting the new method of payment.
- The app is available at the App Store, Google Play and Windows store.
Source: EDP24