The way we all pay for everyday items has changed completely in the last decade – and the same is true when it comes to Metro and other public transport tickets.
At Nexus we want to understand how we can best meet the needs of people across the communities we serve, as we design the fare products and sales channels of the future. We will shortly be starting an engagement process with community organisations and representatives which will underpin our ongoing Smart Ticketing Evolution Programme (STEP).
We want to give customers as much choice as possible, but at the same time we need to reflect the cost of providing different sales channels:
- Four out of five sales at Metro ticket machines are now made by debit or credit card;
- One in three adult customers now use Pop Pay As You Go on android phones or smart card,
- Our new £1 single fare for anyone under 22 is only available through a smart card, topped up both online and at a machine.
As the way people pay continues to change, we need to define how many Metro ticket machines will be required to meet future demand, and how many of these should have cash in them.
There are also environmental benefits in moving away from single-use paper tickets with embedded magnetic stripes, as well as plastic smart cards. Most of all we need to develop simple, convenient ways to pay so we can encourage more people to travel sustainably.
We know there are some people who do not have access to cashless payment, or simply don’t want to use it for their journey. We want to make sure no-one feels unable to travel by Metro as a result. We will consult extensively within our communities to look at all the potential solutions, including continued use of cash-based machines or other ways people can pay by cash. As with our previous programmes such as the award-winning design of Metro’s new train fleet our aim is to build STEP from the start around what local people tell us they need.
We will keep you updated as the project progresses.