All change as contactless is fitted on buses

NEW SYSTEM . . . Stagecoach MD Elisabeth Tasker at the launch of a contactless payment system for its Manchester fleet

CUSTOMERS using Stagecoach buses in Manchester can now pay for travel via a contactless system following a £12 million investment.

The launch of the system on March 1 aims to help speed up boarding and means customers do not need to carry cash to travel.

As well as paying via contactless credit and debit cards, customers can also use Apple Pay and Android Pay to buy their ticket from the driver.

Elisabeth Tasker, managing director of Stagecoach Manchester, said: "The introduction of contactless technology is further evidence of the transformation that bus travel is currently undergoing.

"Ensuring that our customers are receiving the most efficient and hassle-free service is our priority at Stagecoach Manchester and this will allow customers to pay for their tickets more easily than ever before."

The introduction of contactless payments is the latest investment by the local bus operator to improve public transport for local people and means customers in Greater Manchester now have access to many of the same technology solutions as passengers in London, including mobile ticketing, real-time journey information and integrated smart ticketing.

Stagecoach Manchester has invested more than £9 million since January 2015 in new cleaner, greener vehicles and facilities for local communities plus further investment into a new website and smartphone app which allow customers to receive real-time journey information and mobile ticketing.

However, Stagecoach has called for urgent action by politicians to tackle traffic congestion, with the latest research showing that Manchester commuters spend an average of 40 hours each year stuck in traffic.

Ms Tasker said: "The delivery of high-quality bus services is a shared responsibility and, although we are investing heavily in customer improvements in the areas we can control, there is one key issue that is holding buses back and damaging air quality and that is traffic congestion. Manchester is now the most congested city in the UK after London and Public Health England estimates that around 1,000 people die every year in Greater Manchester because of increasingly poor air quality.

"We need politicians to step up and tackle this growing problem now, to allow our local bus networks to flourish for the many people who rely on them every day."