Stagecoach to introduce ‘contactless’ bus travel

Stagecoach North Scotland has officially launched contactless payments on over 360 buses in the North Scotland area, including vehicles in Orkney.  

The initiative — which allows passengers to pay for their travel with a contactless credit or debit card as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay — has now been deployed on all bus routes in the county, the company has announced. Passengers throughout the Highlands and Islands are set to benefit from the latest technology with the aim of making boarding quicker and easier on all Stagecoach buses from Inverness and Elgin to Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney and Skye.

According to Stagecoach, there are currently over 100 million contactless cards in circulation in the UK. The company believes that buses play a critical role in the economic activity of the area connecting people and places and the introduction of contactless payments on-board is the next step in the evolution of travel making it even easier to travel by bus.

To mark the deployment of contactless payments, which is part of a £12 million project across the UK, the local bus operator recently showcased the new technology in an event held at Inverness Airport.

Mark Whitelocks, managing director of Stagecoach North Scotland, said that the company was delighted to be able to celebrate this improvement.

“We continue to invest in new technology to make it easier than ever to catch the bus,” he said.

“From contactless technology and mobile apps to greener vehicles with lower emissions benefitting the environment, buses are the simpler, smarter and greener mobility solution. We will look forward to welcoming passengers on board to try the latest improvement we have introduced to our network across North Scotland.”