Sweeping ticket changes coming to Merseyside buses - new ‘tap and go’ system explained

A major change is coming to the way bus tickets are issued on Arriva services across the Liverpool City Region, from this weekend.

A new ticketless ‘tap and go’ system is being introduced from Sunday, October 30, to replace the current contactless payment system.

Rather than buy tickets for individual journeys, the system will track a passenger’s daily or weekly usage and issue the cheapest possible overall fare.

How the ‘tap and go’ system works

The idea is simple - tap on using a credit or debit card or with Google Pay or Apple  Pay on the driver’s ticket machine when boarding the bus.

The system will track how many journeys a passenger makes that day or week and cap the fare at the best value ticket for the journeys: £2 Single, £4.60 unlimited journeys in a day or £17 for unlimited journeys in the week.

Passengers will not receive a ticket, with the fair calculated later - based on how many journeys they make.

It is hoped that by removing the need to ask for a ticket and paying, it will reduce boarding times for commuters, ensuring that buses leave on time.

What’s been said

Richard Hoare, Commercial Director at Arriva, said: “The Tap and Go scheme  makes bus journeys simpler, ensuring our customers have the confidence that they  will never pay more than is necessary, as the automatic price capping will set the  maximum fare for the day or week, no matter how many buses they board.”