Getting around town by bus is easier in Oxford, England thanks to contactless smart card technology. Stagecoach, one of the area’s main bus operators, adopted a cashless payment system to provide value and ease of use for its riders. With the addition of smart card readers to its fleet of 160 buses, riders can now pay for transportation by scanning their preloaded cards while boarding. The exact cost of their trip is automatically deducted from cards. Passengers can add funds to cards online, on any bus or in person at the company’s major bus station.

Stagecoach’s program increases the likelihood of future joint-ticketing with Oxford Bus Company, which already adopted the technology. Eventually, the dual-ticketing system will provide riders with the ultimate in convenience as the two companies streamline their routes and schedules.
Using smart card technology for cashless payment programs is a smart way to keep costs down. In the case of Oxford’s bus system, it makes public transportation easier to use, giving patrons another reason to choose green transportation.