Smartcard trial starts on bus services

A trial of the equivalent of London's Oyster card to the West Midlands has begun on some bus services in the region.

Centro, the region's transport authority, is testing its new Signature card, which will allow passengers to pay fares electronically for the first time. They will also get a discount compared to paying by cash.

The £14 million scheme will be rolled out across the Black Country but is currently being road-tested on bus company Rotala's services in and around Solihull.

Geoff Inskip, chief executive of Centro, said: "It is a massive step towards our aim of eventually rolling out smartcard technology later this year for all bus users across the Centro region.

"We have already been in discussion with a number of other operators to sign up to a wider scheme." Passengers are able to place their pass on a card reader as they board the bus, which will deduct the fare from the pre-paid sum held in its memory.

A ticket is then issued in the normal manner. The holder will pay a flat fare of £1.60, giving a cheaper and simpler alternative to paying for a single journey using cash.

The £1.60 fare is a discount offered by Rotala, whose standard fare is usually £1.90 or £1.70 for a short hop. The Signature card is issued for free although a minimum £10 needs to be loaded on before it is used.

The name Signature is only being used on the Solihull road-test. It has not been decided what to call it once it rolled out all over the region.

Mr Inskip said: "This scheme will transform bus travel for many, many people so it is important we take it one step at a time and ensure we get it right."