£2.2m to boost smart travel

A ticket-free system similar to London’s oyster card will be up and running across Greater Manchester within five years.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said transport bosses across the area will be given £2.2 million to help get the scheme started.

The integrated smart ticketing will allow passengers to travel on all forms of transport in the region using only one card.

The Government believes the benefits could be worth more than £1 billion per year.

Lord Adonis said: “The benefits of smart ticketing to passengers are clear — quicker, easier and potentially better value journeys on trains, buses and trams, whichever company runs the service.

“We could even see the death of the physical ticket as direct payment and mobile phone technology picks up pace.

“We know that passengers want smart tickets and that if they had them they’d almost certainly use public transport more.”

Benefits of an oyster-style card include allowing passengers to put money on the card in advance to stop the need for queuing to buy a ticket, and having a daily cap set on the card which means passengers will always get the best price for the journeys they make.

If a card is lost or stolen, it can immediately be cancelled to stop fraudulent use and the balance refunded. Operators will also be able to run their own loyalty schemes.

To encourage bus operators to install smart ticketing systems, the Government also announced an 8% increase in the Bus Service Operator Grant if a smartcard infrastructure is fitted on buses.

Lord Adonis added: “Getting this technology on-board will help reduce congestion and pollution, improve the local environment, and help us, operators and local authorities provide the 21st century public transport network that we know people want.”

A recent survey commissioned by the DfT showed 25% of current non-public transport users said they would use a ticket-free system.

Transport chiefs across Greater Manchester will have to submit plans for the funding in early 2010 for DfT approval.

Government wants every area to have smart ticketing by 2020.